[Albion] Joël Veltman and Kenny Tete are high on Kroes' wish list.

Bozza said:

Well, I guess his transfer fee will have gone up after tonight's outstanding performance.

Every cloud...

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Brian Fantana said:

Is he not out of contract in the summer?

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Bozza said:

Yep.

But recently news came out of somewhere that there is a year option too. I'm not sure if the club can unilaterally invoke that, although given Veltman's age and status, I suspect he'd very much fall into the "do the right thing for the player" category if he did want to return to Ajax and see out his career.

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pigmanovich said:

Wasn’t it Velts himself who brought the clause to light in saying he wanted it exercised so he could stay another year? He might have even started explicitly that he preferred remaining here to returning to Holland.

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dwayne said:

Hmmm not sure. The noises out of Holland seem to suggest hes moving back and his Mrs this season seems to be going to every game whereas she hasn't before (which could mean anything but not sure)

Hope he stays obviously

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dazzer6666 said:

It was. This is from The Athletic on 23 December

Joel Veltman edges out Danny Welbeck as the player Brighton & Hove Albion have missed most when unavailable this season.

So it is just as well that the Dutch defender is keen to extend his stay with the club he has served with distinction since the summer of 2020.

Veltman spoke to The Athletic about how he sees his future after his comeback from a four-match absence with a calf injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham.

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The former Ajax stalwart, theoretically out of contract in June, said: “I’m really happy. Brighton’s a nice place, my family are happy. The kids go to English school and that’s all really nice, but on the football side I’m happy. I’ve played most of the games with this coach (Fabian Hurzeler).

“We have a good group of players again. The club do that really well. When I left Amsterdam they said come back one day and obviously you keep your options open, but for now I am happy here. If I end my career here I’m happy, if I go back to Holland, that’s also an option, but I want to stay here.

“We have an option (in his current contract) for another year. That’s probably something in January, February, where you have a conversation with the club and see what it is.”

Veltman — as is also the case with 34-year-old striker Welbeck — is not the type of signing on which Brighton have predominantly forged their reputation in the transfer market. The main focus is on young players from across the world, rich in development and resale value potential.

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