The former Bologna player and the Moroccan who scored against the Azzurri in the Champions League and against Juventus last season are two prized assets in the Dutch club’s squad

One was the conductor, the other the first violin. In the PSV team that “played” Napoli in the Champions League, two names in particular ended up in the notebooks of the scouts present at the Philips Stadion: captain Jerdy Schouten and Moroccan Ismael Saibari. These are already well-known players, but for one reason or another, they could soon be stirring up the transfer market for the big clubs, including the Italian ones.

We know Schouten well. From 2019 to 2023, he wore the Bologna jersey and, if it were up to him, he would probably still be in Serie A. Napoli—along with Milan and Atalanta—had tested the waters with the Emilian club at the time to secure the Dutch midfielder born in 1997. Instead, two years ago, he returned to his homeland, to PSV, where in just two seasons he took on the captain’s armband, the role of leader, and a place in the national team. At 28, he has reached his peak, but without giving up on changing his style of play. In fact, coach Peter Bosz has transformed him from a defensive midfielder to a playmaker in the center of defense in recent games, but with the freedom to move forward and participate in offensive maneuvers. The result? Against Napoli, he hit the post, missed just three passes out of 67, and, above all, gave the impression of being everywhere. The main news is that, despite signing a contract renewal with Eindhoven until 2030 in the summer, he is thinking about returning to Italy to play for a big club. And who knows, perhaps Napoli, which has long been at the top of his list of admirers, will grant his wish.

RAMPA—  We have also gotten to know Saibari well. He has not yet played in Serie A, but he has made sure to get noticed by Italian teams in the Champions League: he scored against Juventus in last year’s playoff return leg and scored twice against Napoli in the 6-2 win the other day. Born in 2001, the Moroccan is also a player in evolution: born as an attacking midfielder, he has adapted to playing as an attacking playmaker and even as a modern striker in recent games, in which Bosz has revolutionized PSV. This is not a big problem for Saibari. Physically strong, good at reading and finding space, decisive in the goal area: in a word, complete. He arrived in Eindhoven at the age of 19 from Belgium, and at 25, which he will be next summer, the time may have come to take a leap forward. The price? At least €25-30 million, if not more, given his steady growth. But if there is one player in Europe with guaranteed performance who is still accessible to Italian teams, it could be Saibari. Special feature: he is represented by the same agency as Noa Lang.