Feyenoord's €10m gamble on Zechiël amid Ueda, Steijn goal drought

Een €10 million price tag for Gjivai Zechiël has become the centrepiece of Feyenoord Rotterdam’s transfer agenda, even though the club already has top scorer Ayase Ueda and striker Sem Steijn on its books. The Dutch side hope the midfielder can add a new source of goals. Feyenoord’s pursuit of Zechiël is driven by a glaring goal deficit; rival PSV netted thirty more goals and finished nineteen points clear at the top of the Eredivisie. Despite Ueda and Steijn delivering the last two Eredivisie top‑scorer titles for the club, the Rotterdamse side still lagged far behind the champions in total strikes. Head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst has warned that the midfield must contribute more goals and has tasked Luciano Valente with that responsibility. “Valente can stay out wide if we build there,” Van Bronckhorst explained. Valente’s record shows a single cup goal against Heerenveen and two league goals against NAC and PSV, matching the two he scored for FC Groningen. He has also found the net four times in eight appearances for the Dutch U‑21 team.

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Other midfield options have been far less productive. Oussama Targhalline, Quinten Timber, Jakub Moder, Inbeom Hwang and Tobias van den Elshout together managed only a handful of goals last season, ranging from zero to two each. Ueda and Steijn, the club’s recent Eredivisie top scorers, still left Feyenoord far behind PSV’s tally. Sem Steijn managed seven goals in his debut season despite missing thirteen games through injury and often starting from the bench. Gjivai Zechiël arrived from FC Utrecht after recording ten goals and ten assists, prompting Lille to show €10 million interest. Technical director Dévy Rigaux confirmed the club will retain Zechiël, viewing him as a potential remedy for the midfield’s goal shortage. If Zechiël integrates successfully, Feyenoord could close the gap with PSV and diversify its attacking threat, while the player gains a platform to develop at a club eager for his contributions.