Newcastle’s new arrival Georginio Wijnaldum becomes the fifth Dutch member of the first-team squad currently on the books at St James’ Park, alongside Tim Krul, Daryl Janmaat, Vurnon Anita and Siem de Jong.
Here, we take a look at five other Netherlands internationals that could be a good fit on Tyneside.
Jetro Willems
Jetro Willems burst onto the scene last year at left back with Eredivisie champions PSV, with 3 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last year. His attacking play from left back alongside a fantastic crossing delivery has seen the 21-year-old become a real name to look out for, and Manchester United have been linked with a move for the full back this summer.
With Newcastle’s current left back options consisting of Massadio Haidara (a talented player, but which a somewhat concerning fitness record) and Paul Dummett (who the majority of Newcastle fans feel far more comfortable with as a centre back), Willems would significantly strengthen the options for the position should he make a move to St. James’ Park.
Willems hasn’t been a reported target of Newcastle United, but should he be available for the right price, the club would be foolish not to act on it. Daryl Janmaat and Jetro Willems would definitely be an exciting full back combination to have, and one I’d certainly love to see.
Stefan De Vrij
The first of two options I’m looking at as potential recruits for our desperate-looking centre back situation. Stefan De Vrij is currently with Lazio, joining the Italian side after a good season with Feyenoord which ended with an impressive showing for the Netherlands during the 2014 World Cup.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a solid debut season with Lazio last year, and with Newcastle’s growing Dutch contingent, his name has crept up as a possible transfer target for the Magpies. De Vrij is a strong, reliable defender who I’d love to see make the move to the North East.
Ron Vlaar
“Concrete Ron” has recently left Aston Villa after his contract with the club expired, despite being offered a new one.
Vlaar spent three years with Aston Villa after joining from Feyenoord, he was quickly appointed captain of the side in the absence of Stylian Petrov, as the Bulgarian battled cancer. Vlaar was also the central figure of the Netherlands’ 2014 World Cup defence, and was well acknowledged as one of the best defenders at the tournament.
At 30 years old, Vlaar doesn’t appear to fit into Newcastle’s apparent transfer model, and a move to St. James’ Park seems very unlikely for the former Villa skipper. But a player with vast international and Premier League experience, joining for free, seems like a sensible option for a club with centre back options like ours.
It wouldn’t be everybody’s cup of tea should Vlaar make the move to Newcastle. But at the very least, if offered the choice of Ron Vlaar or Mike Williamson. We all know which of those two would be preferred by the Newcastle United faithful.
Jean-Paul Boëtius
With many Newcastle fans believing the club are lacking depth in wide areas, Boëtius could be a good option. The 21-year-old currently plays primarily as a left winger for Eredivisie side Feyenoord.
He made his debut for Feyenoord under current Southampton boss Ronald Koeman back in 2012, starting the De Klassieker derby with Ajax. He scored the equalising goal in a 2-2 draw and has gone on to become a regular in Feyenoord’s side since.
His most prolific season for the Rotterdam club came during the 2013/14 season, scoring 11 goals and claiming 9 assists in 32 appearances. His form that year earned him a place in Louis van Gaal’s preliminary squad for the 2014 World Cup, but he was omitted from the final selection.
His form stuttered a little last year, only managing 5 goals and 4 assists, but there is no doubt that Boëtius is a name to look out for. A player with great pace and technique, he could be a player to get the St. James’ Park crowd off of their seats.
Luuk De Jong
A familiar name to Newcastle United fans, after his loan spell with the club during the second half of the 2013/14 season.
Luuk De Jong is currently on the books at Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven, where he scored an impressive 26 goals from 45 appearances in all competitions last year, as PSV raced their way to their first title since 2008.
De Jong was originally a target for Newcastle United back when he was at FC Twente, but instead opted to join Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2012. However, his form in Germany was poor, and he fell down the pecking order before being handed a chance to impress on loan with Newcastle in 2014.
Luuk made 12 appearances for Newcastle that year, scoring no goals. Despite this, several Newcastle fans seem to be content with the idea of a potential St. James’ Park return for De Jong. Many seem to feel that his previous spell was in a poor side desperately lacking creativity after Yohan Cabaye’s departure in January of that year, and his cause wasn’t helped by then-manager Alan Pardew’s tendency to play De Jong as a number 10, as opposed to his preferred out-and-out striker role.
It would be risky to have De Jong as the club’s only incoming forward this summer. But with the club reportedly after two strikers, he could be a decent option to fill one of those positions, should he be able to replicate his form alongside Gini Wijnaldum for PSV last year. And there is no doubt that both he and older brother, Siem, would jump at the chance to play in the same side together.
