Mario Been is impressed by Koki Saito. The Japanese winger from Sparta Rotterdam did not score against Almere City FC (2-3 win) on Saturday evening, but was good for an assist. Leg chimes in The Grandstand on ESPN to think that Saito is good enough for a club like PSV.

Sparta won the game with Almere at the last minute. After Thomas Robinet had made it 2-2 just before the end, Arno Verschueren made it 2-3 a minute later. That also turned out to be the final score.

One of the people who watched the match from the stands was Earnest Stewart, the technical director of PSV. It is not known whether he was in the stands for a specific player, but Been does have a suspicion.

“Saito is of course a hand-binder. He works incredibly hard, but his individual action is of course also great. We saw Earnest Stewart sitting in the stands, and he may also come for him,” the analyst begins.

Saito provided the assist on Djevencio van der Kust's 1-2. Before making the decisive pass, he made some good plays. “He can play people off, and for a team that plays in small spaces it is very nice to have such a player,” says Been.

“And always an overview, also for fellow players. He works incredibly hard. The return is three goals and four assists, which is not enough. He was injured for a long time, of course. But it is a player you go to the stadium for. He is very important for this Sparta. I think that could be a player who will take another step.”

PSV was in the market for Excelsior player Couhaib Driouech last winter, but the transfer ultimately fell through. It is not yet known whether he will leave for the Eindhoven team later. Been: “I can imagine that they are looking at several players who play in Driouech's position. Then Saito is certainly a player they will keep an eye on.”

To the final question from presenter Aletha Leidelmeijer whether the Japanese, who is currently rented by Sparta from the Belgian Lommel SK, would be good enough for PSV, Been answers: “I think so, for sure.”

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