So, PSV just bought Hirving Lozano for god knows how much. Didn’t even know they had the money. However, for as much as I know of him, he seems like a quality buy. Mexican international, fast, talented: he could be a real gem for them. According to De Telegraaf, Ajax weren’t even interested in him. Which seems odd, given the fact that we are interested in adding another winger to our squad. At the same time as the Lozano-news, more reports started surfacing about Ajax’ supposed interest in Sam Larsson.

Buying Sam Larsson would be a terrible mistake. Not only do I strongly doubt his ability to play at a higher level consistently, nor his potential contribution to the squad in European games, it would also be a descent into the averageness of the De Boer-years in the market. Last summer window, Marc Overmars got creative, for the first time in many years, buying exciting, foreign talent who have contributed to our squad a lot.

Before that, Overmars mostly gave us mediocre sh*t he only knew because they played in the Eredivisie. Players like Mike van der Hoorn, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, Derk Boerrigter, Lerin Duarte and many more were brought in by our technical director to ‘strengthen’ the squad, but none of them actually did that. It was the result of lazy scouting and only buying what you have seen on television. Last summer seemed to be a break in the pattern.

If we are indeed interested in Larsson, while never even inquiring about Lozano, Overmars would fall right back into this toxic behaviour that set us back years under Frank de Boer. The credits the board of directors have gotten over the last twelve months would evaporate as quickly as it was born, with this unimaginative buying, plus the departure of Bosz, plus the appointment of the hardly-known Marcel Keizer (whom I support, but I understand the lesser enthusiasm with some of our fans).

People might say pleasing the fans isn’t the job of a technical director, but I say it is. It’s Overmars’ responsibility to build a balanced squad out of young talent, experienced players and enough players on each position. So far, he has failed to reach this target every year again. Last summer he gave us a glimmer of hope, by buying creative, talented youngsters who now are invaluable to our squad. If we end the summer with Huntelaar, Larsson and Haps as our main signings, that glimmer of hope will be taken away as well.

Just thinking about possibilities of next season makes me sad. It’s gonna be a long ass year.