SC Heerenveen's summer transfer window has been analysed by journalist Tom Knipping with the question of whether it is sufficient. In an analysis for Voetbal International, published this week, Knipping paints a picture of a club with little financial room to take risks. The Frisian side currently sits 11th in the Eredivisie with 5 points from four matches, a record of one win, two draws, and one loss.
The club from Friesland brought in Joris van Overeem, Nordin Bakker, and Nikolai Hopland this summer, players described as coming from the bargain bin. A notable purchase was striker Roberts Uldrikis, whose arrival was even called a surprise. His signing has been officially announced. Also, the club benefited financially from a sell-on clause in Joey Veerman's earlier transfer to PSV, with money coming in from Eindhoven. However, a major, hopeful transfer did not materialise.
This summer, it was expected that Jacob Trenskow would be the next big sale, but that did not happen. Tom Knipping notes: "Verwacht werd dat Jacob Trenskow deze zomer de volgende zou worden, maar kennelijk zijn grotere clubs onvoldoende onder de indruk." Oliver Braude also did not progress beyond being listed for sale. The club's record sale remains that of Afonso Alves, which happened nineteen years ago. Financial pressure has been evident in recent years; last season Heerenveen started with a negative position of 6 million euros, a sum of budget deficit and transfer write-downs that needed recouping. In the winter of 2023, Amin Sarr was sold under that pressure.
Historically, SC Heerenveen was a talent hotspot, but that role has now been taken over by AZ. In recent transfer windows, FC Twente and NEC have also performed better in the transfer market. Knipping points to a key structural difference: "In Heerenveen staan geen aandeelhouders klaar om op terug te vallen als het tegenzit." The club lacks a wealthy benefactor like Boekhoorn at NEC, who can cover financial setbacks. This limits their room for manoeuvre. As a result, clubs like Twente and NEC can still poach players from Heerenveen, the analysis states.
With 5 goals scored and 6 conceded (-1 goal difference), Heerenveen is currently in 11th place. The team trails leaders AZ Alkmaar by 7 points. The squad is thin, especially in midfield where Heerenveen is taking risks without extra reinforcement. The full squad list is available online. The manager and staff will have to make do with this group, while the competition has strengthened.
Criticism of the policy has been sharp; former player and analyst Rob Jansen, for instance, was critical. Attention was also drawn to a conflict Marco van Basten had when he became manager. Nevertheless, some players still find it special to play against Heerenveen, as Meijer indicated. The arrival of Uldrikis is seen as a favourable option, a player who, according to Roelof de Vries, had previously attracted interest from big clubs. The final concrete detail is the scheduled home match against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday, 6 September.
