Arsenal fans, you might have a secret admirer in Dutch pundit René van der Gijp. He appears determined to get PSV Eindhoven striker Ismael Saibari to the Emirates.
That’s at least if his latest comments, relayed by Voetbal Primeur, are anything to go by. The pundit has once again pushed the idea of Saibari joining the Gunners.
He first pushed the idea all the way back in December 2024. Sport Witness covered comments by him at that point, in which he insisted he was convinced the PSV star was good enough to join Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Saibari has been impressing in the Netherlands since rising from PSV’s youth set up in 2022. He currently has 37 goals and 25 assists in 133 games for the club. This season he has 14 goals and five assists in 28 games in all competitions.
But he is yet to be the subject of any transfer interest. Van der Gijp is surprised by that, but thinks he has the answer.
Any Arsenal chance may be getting unlikelier
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – 1 OCTOBER, 2025: Ismael Saibari – The UEFA Champions League football match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs PSV Eindhoven at BayArena.
“Two years ago, I said: the only one in the Netherlands who could compete at the level of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Atlético Madrid is Saibari,” he said.
“I still think so, but, I was just looking for fun, and that guy is turning 26. Is that too old to adapt to the highest level?”
“He’s physically okay, he’s definitely a player. It’s not like if you give him a shoulder nudge, he’ll be on the ground. He’s a good header, and he also scores some beautiful goals. The one against Bayern Munich was a really beautiful goal. That’s not a goal you see every week in England.
“If you wanted to go to Arsenal, you’d actually have to make another move (as an intermediary step). But is that still possible?”
It remains to be seen whether Saibari gets his move. At 26-years-old, this is likely to be the summer in which he really needs to make the move. Arsenal, though, may be a pipe-dream. They’ve already spent big on Viktor Gyökeres and are determined to back the Swedish star.
That will likely break Van der Gijp’s heart, as he appears set on seeing the striker move to the Emirates.