Dutch transfer window dominated by big-name departures

AZ splashed out €4.5m on Heracles striker Jizz Hornkamp in the biggest domestic deal. Photo: Peter Lous/EYE4images via ANP

The Dutch transfer window closed on Wednesday night, with players leaving the Eredivisie making the most eye-catching moves in January.

Ajax sold midfielder Kenneth Taylor to Italian side Lazio for a sum of around €17 million, while Feyenoord offloaded Quinten Timber a week after the midfielder dramatically fell out with coach Robin van Persie.

The midfielder publicly criticised Van Persie in the wake of the 4-3 home defeat by Sparta, when he was dropped to the bench. He joined Olympique Marseille for a rumoured €4.5 million.

The biggest domestic transfer saw Heracles’ top scorer Jizz Hornkamp join AZ Alkmaar for a record fee of around €4.5 million. AZ also signed winger Ayoub Oufkir from Sparta and Rion Ichihara from RB Omiya, while fending off interest for highly-rated teenager Kees Smit, who has been linked to Real Madrid.

Feyenoord acquired German goalkeeper Steven Benda on loan from Fulham just before the transfer window closed to replace Netherlands international Justin Bijlow, who has gone to Genoa.

Julian Carranza, who scored the goal that knocked AC Milan out of the Champions League last season, was sold to Mexican side Necaxa after returning early from a loan spell at Leicester City.

No change at PSV

Runaway league leaders PSV Eindhoven were rumoured to be on the brink of selling injury-plagued striker Ricardo Pepi to Fulham for €37 million, but the deal was called off when Peter Bosz was unable to recruit a replacement for the US international.

PSV’s only business in January was the departure of Tay Abed to Levante and Adama Nagalo on loan to Konyaspor.

Ajax signed 19-year-old Argentinian winger Maher Carrizo on deadline day to add to their options on the right flank and give Oscar Gloukh and Rayane Bounida the chance to move to their preferred central role.

The Amsterdammers have also recruited Arsenal defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian left-back played for PSV earlier in his career and was among the scorers in Arsenal’s 7-1 demolition of Peter Bosz’s side in last year’s Champions League.

Sano staying

Goalkeeper Marten Paes has been signed for €1.2 million after the 42-year-old Remko Pasveer returned to his former club Heracles.

This season’s surprise packages NEC opted to hold on to Kodai Sano as they chase a Champions League place, turning down a €20 million bid from English club Nottingham Forest for the Japanese midfielder.

The Nijmegen club have also brought former Go Ahead Eagles striker Willum Thór Willumson back to the Netherlands from Birmingham City.

Go Ahead sold striker Milan Smit to Stoke City for a club record fee of €5.5 million, while captain Mats Deijl left for Feyenoord. The Deventer club have reinvested some of the income on Icelandic winger Alfons Sampsted from Birmingham, while Jordan Slory arrives from Feyenoord on loan.

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