Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman is close to announcing his provisional squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. Michael Bell picks six players that deserve a spot in the provisional squad at least.
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This list is of players that are yet to be named in a squad or provisional list, so the likes of Sven Botman, Micky van de Ven, Pascal Struijk, and Jeremie Frimpong will not be included.
Bart Verbruggen
The goalkeeping situation at the Netherlands is a difficult one for Ronald Koeman with Justin Bijlow and Andries Noppert both currently injured, while Remko Pasveer no longer plays with Ajax.
Jasper Cillessen and Mark Flekken are likely to be in the squad but a chance could also be given to a new goalkeeper, who hasn’t been called up yet. Nick Olij of Sparta Rotterdam has a chance, but Bart Verbruggen is also knocking at the door.
The 20-year-old is now the first-choice goalkeeper with Anderlecht and has made a number of eye-catching performances. On Thursday, Verbruggen was the hero for his side in the Europa Conference League as he saved a number of penalties in the shootout to see them progress to the last 16.
He may not be a starter in Oranje yet but Koeman may grant Verbruggen the chance to experience the squad as he is certainly one of the most talented young goalkeepers in Europe at the moment.
Lutsharel Geertruida
For Feyenoord fans, it is astonishing that Geertruida has not yet had his first call-up to the national team but the Feyenoord defender must be getting close with his performances this season.
Feyenoord is top of the table and Geertruida has been a star performer at centre-back and also on the right of the defence. If the Netherlands is set to play a 4-3-3, Geertruida could offer more defensive stability at right-back than Denzel Dumfries.
The 22-year-old is a reliable and strong defender that would offer Koeman some versatility. The defence is an area in that he has plenty of options but how long can the national team continue to ignore Geertruida, who is yet to even appear in a provisional squad despite over 130 appearances for Feyenoord?
Mats Wieffer
The midfielder is making a big impression for Feyenoord recently and there are rumblings that he could be the perfect partner for Frenkie de Jong in the Oranje midfield.
Koeman will need to decide who he partners with De Jong in the midfield three and Wieffer is putting his name in the mix with a string of strong performances for Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord.
Wieffer only joined the club from Excelsior in the summer and he took some time to get his spot but since he made his debut he has not looked back. A strong ball winner, who is calm in possession, Wieffer is definitely one that can challenge Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon for a place in the squad.
It remains to be seen whether it is too early for the 23-year-old, who has only made 14 appearances in the Eredivisie. It is obvious, though, that he will be an Oranje international if he keeps up his current level.
Tijjani Reijnders
AZ Alkmaar has had an impressive campaign under Pascal Jansen and one of their underrated stars is midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.
The 24-year-old has been an ever-present in the AZ eleven this season, contributing six goals and eight assists in 36 appearances. Koeman has already stated recently that he thinks Reijnders is doing a good job and that could see him included in the provisional squad.
Capable of playing in a defensive midfield position or even further forward, Reijnders is another looking to put his hat into the ring to partner Frenkie de Jong.
Branco van den Boomen
Branco van den Boomen is a breakout star in Ligue 1 with Toulouse this season and that makes him a good bet to be included in the provisional squad at least.
The Netherlands midfield is crying out for a creator and that is exactly what Van den Boomen is, with the 27-year-old only behind Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Jonathan Clauss in terms of Ligue 1 assists. He is also second in the league when it comes to key passes.
Van den Boomen has the tools that the Netherlands needs and has sorely missed since Wesley Sneijder hung up his boots. His addition to the squad would be an exciting one and definitely earned.
Thijs Dallinga
The Netherlands are desperate for a goalscoring striker and they may have that coming with Thijs Dallinga.
He netted over 30 times for Excelsior last season to earn them promotion back to the Eredivisie and that led to Toulouse swooping in the summer. The 22-year-old took some time to adjust but he is now on fire with seven goals in his last ten league games. Overall he has netted 11 times for his new club while also providing three assists.
There is not a Dutch striker that is in better form in a top-five league and it may be worth Koeman giving him a shot to see if he can handle the level.
Dallinga himself is only focused on the U21s at the moment, but that doesn’t mean Koeman should ignore him as the list of alternatives is rather short.
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