sporting ambition collides with financial constraints

• Aaron Golub

  follows PSV on behalf of NOS Sport

“I see a born footballer who makes everyone happy,” Jürgen Klopp says happily about Cody Gakpo on Friday. He hints that his signing could make him his FA Cup debut a day later.

In Eindhoven, that moment will pass for many. At the same time, PSV will resume the battle for the domestic title. Without Gakpo. And without great market opportunities, despite that huge amount of money from Liverpool.

“Thank God I knew where I was getting into when I started. Otherwise you’ll be surprised and feel a bit cheated,” says PSV coach Ruud van Nistelrooij of the Eindhoven side’s financial situation.

The day before the home game against Sparta, the atmosphere at the De Herdgang training complex is depressing. “If the big picture is in better order, it is possible to improve the selection. We are now in this process,” says Van Nistelrooij.

“That’s why we have to sell the best player in the winter and do something about the costs. This makes it more difficult to become champion at the moment”

In an effort to remain competitive, PSV’s wage costs and transfer fees have risen rapidly in recent years. The club has spent more money than it received in recent seasons. And the net worth has also decreased considerably over the years: from forty to eighteen million euros.

With the sale of Gakpo, general manager Marcel Brands fills the shortcomings in one fell swoop, but there is not much left to enter the player market. Then it remains to wait for a stroke of luck or a rental option.

Van Nistelrooij dampens expectations, but even after the farewell of his captain and star player, he still has a team that should fight for the championship.

NOS commentator Arno Vermeulen agrees. “Gakpo is gone, but with Luuk de Jong and Noni Madueke two forwards recover. A fit De Jong can really score around fifteen goals and Madueke will certainly contribute. Who knows, Sávio will break through. PSV still have the team to compete for the title “.

Van Nistelrooij seems to be appointing Anwar El Ghazi for the moment as Gakpo’s replacement. “In his minutes with us, Anwar has had a lot of comebacks, he’s ready to go.”

Statistics also show that El Ghazi could be a good choice on the wing. Three of his nine shots on target this season have ended in goals, making him the highest shot at PSV.

Perhaps Xavi Simons, who has already shown himself to be versatile this season, could also fill the left wing. He has been involved almost as often (78) in all of PSV’s shots as Gakpo (79), who tops the list.

Despite the situation the club is currently in, it is clear that Van Nistelrooij is raising the bar. “We want to become champions this year, despite the fact that we are building. We always go for the unrealistic.”

To make the unrealistic more realistic, the PSV coach would like to strengthen as soon as possible. “We hope to be able to work on him in this transfer window or in the summer to get out better as a team.”

Maybe a striker won’t be so bad at PSV, says Vermeulen. “PSV’s twenty goals conceded have nothing to do with Gakpo. They could also make concessions in matches against lesser opponents in attack, to set up an extra controlling midfielder. Ibrahim Sangaré is not necessarily defensive, but a box-to-box player “.

In the duels with loss of points against FC Twente, SC Cambuur and FC Groningen, Sangaré had the duo Veerman-Til in front of him twice and Veerman-Simons once. Only in the narrow defeat against AZ was Érick Gutiérrez alongside Sangaré, with Veerman up front.

“You can see they get into trouble because of an attacking midfield. I would still put Gutiérrez next to Sangaré to collect fewer goals,” said Vermeulen. In that situation, PSV should not enter the transfer market right away, but can first try to move the pieces of the puzzle internally.

The lack of defensive security is obviously also due to the rearguard of the Brabant club. Only FC Utrecht have conceded more goals in the left row than PSV. Armando Obispo was the only one who played all games in central defence. As a result, according to Vermeulen, there is a lack of balance in the team.

“Ramalho, Branthwaite and Teze were next to him, that changed a bit. But whatever combination there was: he scored a lot of goals again and again. And then also two attacking midfielders, then you ask a little. If this remains the case, I wouldn’t be surprised if PSV finish third or fourth this season.”

Ruud van Nistelrooij is sure of one thing. Whoever is recruited for the attack in this – or the next – transfer window will not be a new Cody Gakpo. “There is no substitute that will bring the same. This is impossible, it cannot be fixed.” All the more reason to look for the solution in the other lines.