Entering a brand-new summer full of rumours about players heading in and out, there only seems to be one transfer where people don’t seem to be completely divided on - the permanent sale of Sebastién Haller to FC Utrecht. A still phenomenal striker rejoining the team where he was able to make his name, and is now shining like he did all those years ago, even after beating cancer in the meantime. It’s just a fairytale, and it seems just about nobody wants it to end already.
On May 19th, SkySportDE’s Patrick Berger, who is by many considered BVB’s most reliable source at the moment, reported that both teams involved in the deal are exploring possibilities for a transfer, and would preferably like to get things done quickly. However, with Utrecht not being the wealthiest club on the continent, having already signed two new starters through Bochum's Dani de Wit and Schalke’s Derry Murkin, while not having made any significant departures thus far, how would they fund such a deal?
On the FC Utrecht bench, there just happens to be this wonderkid rotting away. Someone who joined the Manchester United academy from his local side at just 12 years of age, joined City’s academy a year later, where he’d share a dressing room with names such as Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens, Jeremie Frimpong, and Felix Nmecha. Someone who represented England’s U16s, where he’d play together with Jude Bellingham - leading to a friendship with both of the Bellingham brothers that still lasts to this day, before switching to his native Dutch national team. Someone who’d then go on to play for Leipzig’s youth, in turn leading to a whole set of loan deals and (later) transfers all across all of Europe, all leading to where he is today.
"Where he is today", being on Utrecht’s bench. Noah Ohio joined the Dutch side last summer. Still, it didn’t really appear to be the right profile for Ron Jans’ lone striker position, leading to almost all of Ohio’s 23 Eredivisie appearances this season to be off the bench. And despite PSV’s heavy interest in the youngster last January, hoping to replace their own Ricardo Pepi, who had just picked up a season-ending injury, Ohio would have to settle in as the league’s most talented super-sub. This role still suited him, nevertheless, as he scored four crucial goals over his 18 substitute appearances.
Still, a wonderkid of his stature deserves better. Ideally, he’d move to a club desperate to get back to their old ways of signing promising youngsters and making them big, a club that’s been searching worldwide for a youngster who could provide depth in their new 2-striker system, a club where his best mate is currently rumoured to be going as well, a club in a country where he has already played before so adapting won't have to take too long, and ideally also a club who’s currently looking to strike a deal with his current FC Utrecht.
It just couldn’t get any more obvious now could it?