Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 8:56 AM• Mart Oude Nijeweeme • Last update: 09:13

PEC Zwolle has not yet given up hope for Kjell Scherpen. The Overijssel Eredivisionist closed according to ESPN already had a rental agreement for one season with the goalkeeper of Ajax, but saw a hitch when the Amsterdam club was also able to sell its goalkeeper to Brighton & Hove Albion. Nevertheless, Mike Willems is confident that Scherpen will still come to PEC. The technical manager also says to put the priority in the heart of the defense and on the wings when compiling the selection.

Everything seemed in jugs and pitchers. Scherpen would be hired out to PEC and succeed Xavier Mous, whose contract was not renewed. Until the Algemeen Dagblad reported that Brighton & Hove Albion was prepared to take over Scherpen from Ajax permanently and would already be negotiating with the team from Amsterdam. Willems denies opposite on Thursday The Stentor that something went wrong in the negotiations with Ajax. “Nothing went wrong there. There is still a chance that he will come. The ball is with Ajax.”

The fact that Ajax is willing to get rid of Scherpen for good cannot be seen in isolation from the developments surrounding Jay Gorter. The team from Amsterdam want to take him over from Go Ahead Eagles, but have temporarily halted negotiations due to a high asking price. Ajax wants to attract Gorter, who kept a record 25 times a zero in the Kitchen Champion Division, as goalkeeper for Young Ajax. There he becomes Scherpen’s replacement. In the A selection, Remko Pasveer and Maarten Stekelenburg have to fight it out. André Onana is also under contract with Ajax, but he is suspended for twelve months for the use of the banned substance furosemide

Willems is working on a new Eredivisie-worthy team at PEC. The technical manager saw twelve selection players leave, but has indicated that there will not be twelve new players. “This is not necessary because of the flow from the football academy”, Willems continues. “Our priority is with the goalkeeper and the left in the center of the back. We also focus on a left back and a left and right winger. Then we have doubled all positions. In the preparation we look at where space and opportunities lie.”