Dest is unique. He’s like Steve Nash back in the day. Teams who wanted Nash to become John Stockton would have had a good player, but they would not have had an MVP. With the right coach who allows Dest to cut up midfields, Dest could be one of the top offensively-oriented fullbacks on the planet. If he’s with a brain dead coach like Xavi who wants him to play like a traditional fullback, be will be a decent player at the top level, whose talent is wasted. PSV is a great spot for Dest in that regard because Stewart knows exactly what he has. PSV gives him freedom to run downhill at defenses. PSV also plays in high level games and competitions. It’s a great club to be a part of right now and I wouldn’t hurry out of there. They are creating history.
Which Liga MX/MLS prospects do you think would have a nice home with Earnie's PSV? There were some rumors of Cade during the Gold Cup but I dont know if Esmir makes that point moot or not.
I feel like it’s pretty common for teams to sign players to contracts that pay less if they don’t make the Champions League. Definitely see it all over the place in the EPL though less sure about Serie A.
First ask what are their needs? Then what player fits those needs. If LDJ doesn't come back a young understudy to Pepi might be a good fit. If Tillman gets sold then someone to replace him. They are pretty stacked so a player would need to be in that Dest / Tillman / Pepi range. I could see Luna as a Tillman replacement.
One thing that's true is that PSV pays really well. Look at Dest's salary figures out there. He's already given La Liga and Serie A a go. He's paid, according to capology anyway, nearly 4 million a year. He's paid as if he's a high-level Serie A player, and he's under contract thru 2028. I can honestly see him finishing his career there. Tillman? He recently said that he's very happy at PSV. Said he wasn't interested in leaving. But money talks.................. Earnie Stewart has ruled out the sale of Pepi. They apparently got bids of around 20 million for him in Janaury, and rejected them. [We heard West Ham, right?] So some club is going to have to blow them away, and why would they do that right now? They'll want to see his return from injiury. 'There's not going to be a transfer' - Ricardo Pepi sale ruled out by PSV director of football Earnie Stewart as club outlines plan for USMNT star | Goal.com US I can honestly see all of Tillman, Dest, and Pepi back there next season. [Ledezma to Chivas.] By the way, when is some bigger club going to take a look at Earnie Stewart? If I was Premier League club looking for a Director of Football for the front office, he'd be one name on my list. Cuz he's done fantastically well at PSV. When he got there in the spring of 2023, PSV hadn't won a title since 2017/2018. Now two titles in a row.
Earnie must be on a damn good salary. He was on $800k at USSF. PSV are trying to do what Ajax recently tried and failed to do, which is to become a big player in Europe, despite playing in a second tier league.
That's hard. Getting to the knockout rounds of the Champions League two years in a row (with this new format) is a good accomplishment for PSV. But this isn't like the days when Eredivisie teams could compete for Champions League titles. [When I was first a fan, they legitimately were. Ajax in particular.] They got to the round of 16 this year and got their doors absolutely blown off by Arsenal. An Arsenal team I was told couldn't score, put 7 goals past them in the first leg. Unless you're spending like PSG, competing in 2025 against the big boys is extremely difficult.
I get it, but the gap is real and substantial. Gross salary total at PSV: 32 million. Gross salary total at Arsenal: 170 million I just picked Arsenal because they're the team that knocked PSV out this year. And beat the snot out of them. I'm not trying to be controversial here. A club like PSV can have ambitions to go as far as they can in the Champions League. That's awesome. Its just that the gap is significant. Gross salary total at Real Madrid: 279 million. I'm using capology totals, which are likely not entirely accurate. They just tell the story. By the way, yes: After their contract extensions, Pepi and Dest alone count for 20% of their gross salary total. According to capology, anyway.
The PSV path is making a run with a bunch of talented young guys before they get bought by bigger clubs. Which is pretty much what Ajax did.
I understand but under the new UCL format they can bring in at least $40M a year if the finish in the top 16 consistently. If they focus on developing young players, which Dutch teams have always been good at, and revitalising undervalued players, like Dest and Tillman, they could be a pain in the neck to the top 20 on a regular basis.
Sebastian Berhalter comes to mind due to his high levels of skill, intensity, and intelligence. Cade Cowell might be a good fit because he automatically brings a high level blend of explosiveness, power, and skill. If Reyna hadn’t burned that bridge with Earnie Stewart, I’d say he’d be an ideal candidate as a sub at first, but working his way into the role that Tillman may be leaving (if Tillman leaves).
Earnie Stewart is absolutely a rising star. Not only did they win back to back titles, but they did so while missing multiple top performers. During that time they brought in Perisic, who is a monster, and they developed Ledezma. They are primed to win a third title. The injuries also hampered PSV’s Champions League performance. The next cycle will be the one to watch PSV in. They have several guys who will feature in the World Cup, and should they avoid the injury plague, they will be hungry to achieve more. This PSV period is significant for Americans in Europe. It is the first time that a group of Americans have come in and transformed a club into a dynasty. Earnie Stewart is the guy making it happen just like he’s one of the guys who opened the door to Europe for other American players in the 1990’s. Earnie is becoming a Mount Rushmore figure for American soccer.
The EPL is in a whole different category of spending than the rest of the world. Mid table teams are on par with giants from other leagues. West Ham have a higher payroll than Juventus. 3 ofcthe 4 finalists in Europa/Conf are EPL. Spurs and ManU are the two teams above the relegation zone. Ipswich has double the payroll (or more) of other relegated clubs in the big 4. Capology total salary spend: EPL: $2.642 B La Liga: $1.3 B Serie A: $1.18 B Bundesliga: $1.12 B Saudi: $1.14 B --------- EPL: Liverpool €172, Arsenal €202, Man City €267, Newcastle €113 Chelsea €202 Aston Villa €155, Nottingham Forest €69; Fulham (10th) €85, Bournmouth (11th) €64; West Ham (15th) €121, ManU (16th) €207; Spurs (17th) €138; Leicester (18th Rel) €79, Southampton (19th, Rel) €60, Ipswich (20th, Rel) €48. La Liga: Barcelona €201, Real Madrid €279, Atletico Madrid €136, Athletic Bilbao €56; Villlareal €42; Real Betis €53, Celta Vigo €26, Rayo Vallecano €19; Mallorca (10th) €24, Real Sociedad (11th) €40; Espanyol (17th) €21; Leganes (18th, Rel) €15, Las Palmas (19th, Rel) €26, Valladolid (20th, Rel) €23. Serie A: Napoli €83, Inter Milan €141, Atalanta €50, Juventus €109; Roma €87, Lazio €77; Fiorentina (7th) €51, Bologna (8th + Cup) €35, AC Milan (9th) €98; Torino (11th) €52; Lecce (17th) €20; Emploi (18th, Rel) €24, Venezia (19th, Rel) €24, Monza (20th, Rel) €32. Bundesliga: Bayern Munich €274, Bayer Leverkusen €84, Einteacht Frankfurt €45, Borussia Dortmund €114; Freiburg €26, Mainz €27; Stuttgart (9th) €45, Monchengladbach (10th) €41; Hoffenheim (15th) €50; Heidenheim (16th, Rel PO) €17; Holstein Kiel (17th, Rel) €12, Bochum (18th, Rel) €21. ----------------
Second player of the season for Malik, this time from VI. WhoScored already named him. Paxten Aaronson finished 20th on VI's list. Malik Tillman is VI's Player of the Year for the 2024/25 season. The star of champion PSV finished with a large lead at the top of the player rankings, ahead of teammates Noa Lang and Mauro Júnior and Feyenoord defender Dávid Hancko. https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/vis-speler-van-het-jaar-malik-tillman-overtuigend-naar-winst
Richards and Palace managing to perform after their FA Cup hangover currently beating Wolves 3-2. Bournemouth and Adams are down 2-0 to Man City in the other match
Apparently in Holland Malik Tillman is taking the nickname "tequila man" .............I cannot fathom why
Gaps can be huge, but that doesnot mean it's impossible. It only takes to have a group of young talents on the brink of breaking out, combined with one or two seasoned, experienced players, and the luck of not getting them injured. What takes teams with a small wallet out is the lack of depth on the bench. PSV under Hiddink had a hugely talented group. Arsenal in the group stage couldnot beat them and Fabregas out of frustration kicked one of PSV's key players, Kone, into a the rest of the season long injury. PSV was barely beaten by later finalist AC Milan. We should have won that CL, as we win when a new James Bond is introduced. Kone would have been essential to reach the next round. Ajax under ten Hag had an equally hugely talented selection, but was fokked by the referee, who was acting as if he was bribed to keep Ajax out of the final.
That 40+ million is already guranteed in the 8 matches round. Both Feyenoord and PSV made over 70 million.
I guess he'd never done Tequila shots before the title celebrations. Someone I know went blind for 3 days following the first time he got drunk on tequila.
For some reason Frankfurt's first team played a friendly today. US U20 defender Aiden Harangi with the start!! Being evaluated for next season??? 🇺🇸 USA U20 RB Aiden Harangi gets his first appearance for Eintracht Frankfurt’s first team, starting alongside Timmy Chandler in a friendly against FSV Geislitz 🇺🇸 https://t.co/CqWIFPW4r1— American Ultras Talk (@usmntaut) May 20, 2025
[Also, by the way, Akinmboni was in the Bournemouth squad for their premier league game against Man City today. Didn't play. Adams did, of course.]
Given they have nothing to play for at this point (they had an outside shot at the Conference League before losing to Man City), it’s not inconceivable that he could get a short cameo in the final game of the season.
They did have something to play for as wins for Villa and Forest this weekend and a win for Chelsea against Betis, all likely, will mean that the 8th placed EPL team qualify for Europe. Now it's between Brighton and Brentford.