PEC Zwolle has strengthened itself with two transfer-free players. The still scoreless bottom of the Eredivisie will announce the arrival of Ryan Koolwijk and Leandro Fernandes on Wednesday afternoon. Both midfielders sign a contract until the end of the season, with an option for another year. Fan sites already reported the acquisitions on Tuesday, but the contracts have now actually been signed.
Last week it became clear that PEC cannot have Pelle Clement, who has had surgery on his ankle, for the time being. Mustafa Saymak was previously injured. PEC therefore needed reinforcements in midfield and ended up with Koolwijk and Fernandes. PEC hopes to be able to deploy Luka Adzic soon as well. The left leg from Serbia came transfer-free from Anderlecht last month, but despite the club’s efforts, he does not yet have a work permit and is missing from the IJsselderby against Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday, reports RTV East.
Ryan Koolwijk and Leandro Fernandes will join the selection immediately. Welcome, guys!??#peczwolle #eredivisie #welcome
— PEC Zwolle (@PECZwolle) September 15, 2021
The 36-year-old Koolwijk played four more games for Almere City FC this season. However, on Monday August 30, the club and player decided after an interim evaluation meeting to terminate his ongoing contract. Koolwijk lost his captaincy to Tim Receveur under the new trainer Gertjan Verbeek, after he had to miss almost the entire preparation because of his participation in the Gold Cup with Suriname. He was substituted in three of the first four games of the new season and did not see enough prospects to continue playing in Almere.
The 21-year-old Fernandes has a history with PSV and Juventus. In the youth of PSV he worked together with current PEC trainer Art Langeler; in January 2018 he transferred to Juventus. He was loaned out by Juventus to Fortuna Sittard in the 2019/20 season and played five games in the Eredivisie, before the season was ended prematurely due to the corona crisis. In September 2020, he left Pescara on a free transfer, for which he played 11 games in Serie B. His contract was terminated by mutual consent in April 2021. Fernandes has been transfer-free since then and already did an internship at PEC in June.
“With the temporary disappearance of Pelle and Mustafa, the rinse in midfield became too thin,” says technical manager Mike Willems on the club site. “Ryan is physically strong and has a lot of experience, while Leandro made a good impression as an attacking midfielder when he was here on trial at the beginning of the season. It is great that we have been able to add both players to the roster. They are fit and are in the starting blocks to make the first meters on the training field this week.”
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