PSV has officially confirmed the arrival of André Ramalho. The 29-year-old central defender makes the switch from Red Bull Salzburg for an estimated amount of 2.5 million euros, is PSV’s second summer acquisition after Joël Drommel and signs a three-year contract in Eindhoven. Ramalho is known of trainer Roger Schmidt, with whom he became champion of Austria in the 2013/14 season.
“With André Ramalho, we bring an experienced central defender to PSV who is familiar with Roger Schmidt’s football philosophy and has the qualities to carry it out on the field. We have been following André’s performance from the moment he was active in Europe and now had a chance to bring him to PSV. We immediately acted on that “, says technical manager John de Jong on behalf of PSV.
“I am a player who always gives everything, plays for the prizes and wants to do that with PSV”, Ramalho himself says on the website of his new club. “The first contact with PSV dates from last season. At the time, it had not yet come to a switch. I am very happy that it has now worked out. I know the history of PSV, the warm relationship with Brazil and the good reputation that the PSV supporters have. I look forward to playing here at the Philips Stadium and hope to be as successful as several fellow countrymen have been here in the past. “
Ramalho was under contract in Salzburg for another year. Ricardo Moniz brought Ramalho to Europe in 2011 at the age of eighteen, in his time as head of training at the top club from Austria. Five years later Ramalho left Red Bull Salzburg for Bayer Leverkusen. At the Bundesliga club, Ramalho was not fully featured and a season later he was loaned out to 1. FSV Mainz 05. The following year he fought again for his chance at Leverkusen, but only played three league matches. Salzburg decided to bring Ramalho back in January 2018, where the Brazilian once again emerged as a major player.
The defender became the national champion with the club for the past four seasons. In total, Ramalho stands at 239 official matches for Salzburg, in which he scored 20 times and delivered 13 assists. “He can play very high on the field. When the right back is gone, he also has the ability to play the spaces very well when the ball is lost,” Moniz said recently in the Eindhovens Dagblad about Ramalho. “He is not super fast, but an intelligent and physically strong guy. Tactically and positionally good too. If Schmidt wants to press in the same way as he did in Salzburg, defenders must be able to stand against the center line. He knows that trick. “