7 Eredivisie players who'd make clever Premier League signings this summer – and the clubs they'd suit

Lisandro Semedo

Donny van de Beek (Ajax)

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars recently stated that Van de Beek is not for sale this summer, but a good offer might change his mind. The elegant 21-year-old central midfielder is seen as Davy Klaassen's heir in Amsterdam, and while Everton fans might not be delighted to hear those comparisons, the truth is that former Ajax captain Klaassen wasn't given a decent chance to prove himself at Goodison Park.

Van de Beek possesses similar qualities – a magnificent passing range, calmness under pressure and an ability to move the ball forward quickly and efficiently. With 11 Eredivisie goals in 2017/18, he has a decent shot too. Van de Beek could be an interesting addition to a ball-playing side led by a manager who trusts youth.

Would suit: Bournemouth, West Ham

Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord)

Yes, he had a miserable time at Watford, and only made nine substitute appearances in the Premier League during the 2015/16 season, but you can't really judge a player if one manager chose to discard him. Quique Sanchez Flores wasn't satisfied with Berghuis during training sessions, but he didn't really find a place for an out-and-out winger in his tactical plan anyway.

Berghuis is only 26, and was magnificent for Feyenoord last season with 18 goals and 12 assists to his name. The Holland international is a dedicated, quick and technically sound player who is capable of delivering quality crosses. A team that uses real wingers could be delighted with him – and his limited previous experience shouldn’t count against him. After all, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne proved themselves in the Premier League after initially ‘flopping’ at Chelsea. 

Would suit: Cardiff, Fulham

Santiago Arias (PSV)

The Colombian right-back is a popular name following his fine performances at the World Cup this summer, but also after five season at PSV Eindhoven. Tenacious and combative, yet good on the ball, the 26-year-old is equally effective at the back and when bombing forward. 

Napoli are reportedly interested, as are Valencia, but there could still be a possibility of a move to England if a decent offer arrives. Arias brings plenty of international experience and would suit an attack-minded team that admires South American style.

Potential suitors: Everton, West Ham

Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar)

The Iranian winger might not have had a good World Cup, but that doesn't hurt his chances of becoming a Premier League player – Brighton look to be fighting for his signature. Jahanbakhsh has made a steady progress over recent years and developed into one of the brightest stars of the Eredivisie during 2017/18.

Not only did he become the first Asian ever to be crowned top scorer in a Western European league with 21 goals for AZ Alkmaar, the 24-year-old also provided 12 assists, so directly contributed to a goal per game throughout the season.

Lightning quick, skilled, visionary and unselfish, a price tag of £20m is actually rather low given his potential, experience and relatively young age.

Would suit: Brighton look to have this one wrapped up. 

Gaston Pereiro (PSV)

Pereiro is relatively underrated, because he didn't get any playing time for the national team. Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez barely used the 23-year-old forward and didn't take him to the World Cup, but that only speaks volumes of the riches he has at his disposal. After all, new Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira hadn't featured for the national team until recently either, but proved his worth in Russia following some sensational performances for Sampdoria.

Pereiro, who admires the legendary Alvaro Recoba so much that he had the striker's image tattooed on his arm, is a versatile and physically strong attacker. Capable of playing on the wing and centrally, he is very quick for such a tall player (6ft 2in), and his scoring record is decent with 32 goals in 87 Eredivisie games. He could be a great addition to a mid-table Premier League club, for a great price.

Potential suitors: Leicester, Southampton

Lisandro Semedo (Fortuna Sittard)

Fortuna Sittard's promotion to the Eredivisie was unexpected. The club were supposed to struggle at the foot of the table in the second division, but went up to the top tier for the first time since 2002 instead.

The brightest star has been 22-year-old striker Lisandro Semedo, who used to play for Reading's academy back in 2015/16. Apparently, though, the Sporting graduate wasn't rated highly enough in England, so moved on to Cyprus in order to kickstart his career.

Now, after scoring 15 goals and providing 15 assists in a historic season, he looks like a potential star in the making. Tricky, confident and versatile, the Portuguese can play centrally and on the right wing. He could be an interesting addition to a Premier League club – especially at Wolves, who have several Portuguese connections.

Potential suitors: Newcastle, Southampton, Bournemouth, Wolves

Fran Sol (Willem II)

Born in Madrid and raised at the Real Madrid academy since the age of 10, Sol is naturally dreaming of a return to Spain this summer. He was never rated highly in his homeland and played for Villarreal B in the third division before moving to Willem II two years ago. Since then, he has flourished.

The no-frills striker scored 10 goals in 2016/17 and improved the tally to 16 last season – a magnificent return for a club that’s been fighting against relegation. He might be a Liga fan, but Sol's direct and powerful style would actually suit the English game far better.

The 26-year-old is good in the air and loves finishing moves with just one touch. Clubs like Cardiff and Burnley are reportedly keen on him for a reason and should seriously consider Sol as an option.

Potential suitors: Burnley, Cardiff

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Michael Yokhin

Michael Yokhin is a European football writer. In addition to FourFourTwo, he wrote for Guardian, BBC, ESPN, Blizzard, New York Times, Independent, 11Freunde, Josimar and others. He takes keen interest in leagues, teams and players that might be a bit out of the main focus in the mainstream media, and loves football history as well.