PSV have been diving into the American talent pool of late, with Bolo Zenden explaining the benefits of snapping up USMNT stars.
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Eredivisie outfit boast three American starsBenefits to be found on and off the fieldMore transfer business being lined upGettyWHAT HAS HAPPENED?
The Eredivisie outfit currently have three United States internationals on their books. Sergino Dest is expected to make his loan move from Barcelona permanent, while Malik Tillman could be acquired on a full-time basis from Bayern Munich and Ricardo Pepi is looking to enhance his reputation after completing a €10 million (£9m/$11m) transfer.
AdvertisementWHY ARE PSV SIGNING USMNT STARS?
All three U.S. stars have something to prove in Eindhoven, with former PSV star Zenden – speaking in association with – telling GOAL of why the Dutch giants are chasing an American dream: “It could be really profitable. I’m not sure that from the start that was the whole idea, but I know Earnie Stewart came in last year as the new technical director – we all know that he has his roots in the Netherlands and in the States, being with the national team for quite some time, so he knows the league and the players better than anybody else. He knows how it works.”
GettyWILL PSV TOUR THE UNITED STATES?
With interest in PSV’s efforts building on the other side of the world, Zenden believes that Pepi and Co will be taken for outings on home soil at some point in the not too distant future. He added: “You don’t just bring players in to see if they can give you a platform in, for example, the States, but I can see that maybe in the winter or the summer there will be a little tour of the U.S. for PSV. These things happen. In the past we had two big players from South Korea, when Guus Hiddink was there, and that helped to get some feet on the ground in Korea. We have had a big Japanese player, Ritsu Doan, who was at PSV and there is always a little bit of movement towards these countries and you can take some profit from it, but in the end it always comes down to the performances on the pitch and the level that the player can bring in. It’s not just the nationality, but of course it helps."
HOW ARE AMERICANS GETTING ON AT PSV?
PSV are helping Dest to get his career back on track following a testing spell at Barcelona, while there are high hopes for Tillman and Pepi in the creativity and goal scoring departments. Zenden said of what that trio can offer to the collective cause: “Dest is semi-Dutch, is a player that obviously played for Ajax and Barcelona, so to be able to get him on board – an experienced player – is important. Pepi is a bit younger, a player that still needs to earn his right to play because we have Luuk de Jong as a striker and he is performing extremely well at the moment, so it’s hard for Pepi to get games. And then Tillman proved himself and developed himself at Munich. To be able to get a player in from Bayern Munich is obviously something that can always help the level at PSV. We are really pleased with all three of them and if that also means that on a commercial level you can do a bit more, that’s always a plus.”
