Assessment of Feyenoord’s Winter Transfer Window

The winter transfer window has come to a close. At Feyenoord, Dennis te Kloese experienced a relatively uneventful transfer period, with only three players acquired for the Rotterdam-based club. Four players departed permanently, while another four were sent out on loan. Was this winter transfer window a success for De Stadionclub? At first glance, everything seems acceptable; however, a deeper analysis reveals that Feyenoord has lost quality in terms of squad depth.

Let us first evaluate the situation. At the end of the previous calendar year, Quinten Timber was consistently a topic of discussion. The midfielder had an expiring contract and expressed his desire not to leave for free. However, negotiations between the club and the Dutch international repeatedly stalled, and after a clash with Robin van Persie, it became evident that a contract extension was off the table. Timber was eventually allowed to leave, signing with Olympique Marseille for a mere €4.5 million—twenty million less than his market value.

It may be evident from the first paragraph: the situation is not ideal. Three top players may be able to mitigate the temporary departure of eight squad members, but whether these three can indeed fill the void remains questionable. Martijn Krabbendam, Feyenoord’s club analyst for Voetbal International, expressed his concerns on transfer deadline day, noting how other clubs significantly strengthened their squads while Feyenoord merely “patched things up”. He doubts whether these new additions will lead to immediate improvements in performance.

Another addition that cannot be immediately classified as a quality boost is St. Juste. The central defender and right-back has recently faced challenges at Sporting Portugal, where he saw limited playing time. Nevertheless, Feyenoord brought him to Rotterdam, and his primary task now is to regain match fitness. “The most important thing is that he stays fit,” comments Boualin, suggesting that the defender could eventually prove valuable for De Stadionclub.

The departure of Timber is painful for several reasons. Firstly, there is the manner of his exit—a champion and former captain should never leave in such a way. The transfer fee is also disheartening; receiving less than twenty percent of a player’s estimated €25 million value is undoubtedly frustrating. Most critically, the team has lost a leader, and currently, Feyenoord lacks numerous leaders within the squad.

Feyenoord was also focused on acquiring a new striker during this transfer window. This was not due to Ayase Ueda’s underperformance—he remains the top scorer in the Eredivisie. The need for a new goal scorer arose from the departure of Larin and Casper Tengstedt’s ongoing struggles to impress. Additionally, Shaqueel van Persie’s unfortunate knee injury further underscored the necessity for new talent. Te Kloese’s search led him to opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

In summary, has Feyenoord improved its squad during this winter transfer window? It does not appear so. Benda is undoubtedly a competent goalkeeper, but can he outperform Bijlow in one-on-one situations? Deijl represents a significant investment and a true leader with experience; however, he will likely play a secondary role when Read returns from injury. St. Juste may not provide an immediate boost in quality but could offer long-term benefits to the team. The conclusion following this winter window is clear: Feyenoord will need to fight hard in the second half of the season.