Marcel Brands has been consistently linked with the Director of Football role at the club over the past few months.
Just yesterday, PSV’s technical director admitted there was interest from other clubs, but he also said that he would find it hard to leave the newly crowned Eredivisie champions:
“I have a contract at PSV. There is interest but is it hard to leave this beautiful place.”
The Dutchman had a long playing career from 1980 until the mid 90s. Most of that time was spent at RKC Waalwijk where it took over as technical director in December 1997.
Inside a year he had sacked then manager Peter Boeve, and appointed Martin Jol as head coach. The decision proved to be an inspired one with the new man in charge steering the club to safety in his first campaign, and then helping the club to finish sixth two years later.
After a number of years of helping to establish RKC as a mid-table side in the top flight, Brands moved on to AZ Alkmaar in 2005, where he would help the small Dutch club reach new heights.
During his five years at AZ, he signed the likes of Sergio Romero, Ragnar Klavan, Mousa Dembele and Graziano Pelle who would all go on to excel in the Premier League.
On the pitch, with the help of Louis van Gaal, the Dutch side won the league in 2009 and reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. Between 2005 and 2010, the club finished 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 1st and 5th. He also hired and fired one Ronald Koeman during his spell as director.
His success in both recruitment and as general manager attracted PSV at the end of the 2009/10 season, and he moved to the Philips Stadion for the start of the following campaign.
The Eindhoven based side have actually only won the league three times in Brands eight years at the club, but it’s in his transfer business where he has been highly successful.
Recruits such as Kevin Strootman (now at Roma), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool), Drie Mertens (Napoli), as well as the likes of summer signing Hirving Lozano have all shown Brands to be an excellent spotter of talent.
It’s no surprise then we would be considering the Dutchman as a possible successor to Steve Walsh whose signings have contributed to the failures this campaign. Whether he could transform our fortunes if he does arrive, we’ll have to wait and see.