6 brilliant players who are simply too good to be playing in the Eredivisie
The Eredivisie might not be considered one of Europe’s very top leagues, but it’s always been a breeding ground for top talent – from the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Luis Suarez back in the day to Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders today.
And the talent factory that is the Dutch top flight shows no signs of slowing down, with a number of eye-catching players at clubs like Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV who are surely set to be playing their football at a higher level in the coming years.
We’ve identified six Eredivisie stars who are simply too good to be playing their football in the Netherlands.
Johan Bakayoko
This is the 21-year-old winger’s third season as a regular at PSV and may well be his last, with Newcastle United strongly linked with a move.
He played under Van Nistelrooy when PSV beat rivals Ajax in the KNVB Cup final a couple of years back and blossomed into a fully-fledged world-beater last season as PSV claimed the Eredivisie title with a mammoth, record-breaking 91-point haul under Peter Bosz.
It’s said that PSV value him around £43million, which explains why he’s stayed put until now. But that fee could soon prove a bargain. Watch this space.
Santiago Gimenez
Argentina-born Mexico international Gimenez scored 23 league goals last term for Arne Slot’s Feyenoord and recently offered a reminder of his dead-eyed ability in front of goal with a hat-trick in a 5-2 mauling of Heracles.
He had a chance to move to the Premier League in the summer but decided to stay put where he is for now.
Gimenez recently told TNT Sports Mexico: “Yes obviously, I think everyone in Mexico knows that it was true that they [Nottingham Forest] came and wanted to pay for me what the club was asking but in the end, I decided to wait one more year here at Feyenoord because I had the possibility of playing in the Champions League, I had the option to grow up here and also another team came in but nothing materialised.
“It went all the way until the last day but nothing came of and I decided to wait, Nottingham gave me one last day to say yes or no, we decided to say no.”
Jorrel Hato
It freaks our nut a bit that Lionel Messi had already made his full debut for Argentina before Hato was even born.
The 18-year-old can play left-back or centre-back and already has five caps for the Netherlands under his belt, as well as close to a century of appearances for Ajax.
Few clubs in Europe produce as many talented footballers as Ajax and despite their recent troubles they appeared to have nurtured yet another gem. Liverpool and Arsenal have been linked with the teenager, who is widely regarded as one of the most promising young defenders on the continent.
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Malik Tillman
Those that watched Rangers a few years back will have told you Tillman was one to watch, having impressed with his first taste of regular senior men’s football at Ibrox during the 2022-23 campaign.
Bayern Munich subsequently sent out the attacking midfielder on loan to PSV, where he’s been nothing short of a revelation.
It was a no-brainer for the USA international to make that move permanent in the summer after a starring role in their Eredivisie title triumph last term, but you increasingly get the sense that this stint with PSV will ultimately prove a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
Bayern reportedly have a buyback clause of around €35million, but they surely won’t be the only elite European club keeping close tabs on the 22-year-old’s development in Eindhoven.
Quinten Timber
Twin brother of Arsenal star Jurrien, it appears only a matter of time that this Timber – a midfielder – follows in his footsteps to one of Europe’s major leagues.
A remarkably consistent near ever-present under Slot last season, the gossip columns have talked up the prospect of him reuniting with his old boss at Anfield in 2025. That’s gone a bit quiet with fellow Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch excelling in that role at present, while Tottenham have increasingly been talked up.
A sibling rivalry across the North London divide? Sign us up.
Josip Sutalo
Croatia international Sutalo only spent one season in the Eredivisie with Ajax before a host of Premier League clubs – chief among them West Ham and Wolves – started queueing up for his signature.
The 24-year-old didn’t end up leaving in the summer and has kicked on at the Johan Cruyff Arena, a key pillar of Ajax’s resurgence as serious contenders once again.