Deportivo remains focused on the fight for direct promotion, but that doesn’t stop the club’s technical secretariat from exploring various options to strengthen the squad for next season. According to Dutch media outlet De Gelderlander, one of those targets could be Teun Gijselhart. The club from A Coruña is reportedly sounding out a possible transfer and would have to pay a fee, as the midfielder still has two years left on his contract with De Graafschap, the second-division Dutch side he currently plays for.
Gijselhart, 21, is a defensive midfielder with great potential who has represented the Netherlands at youth levels (U-15 and U-17). This season, he played 36 of 38 league matches—all as a starter—accumulating 3,060 minutes and providing two assists. His most recent appearance came in the Eredivisie promotion playoffs against Almere City, which eliminated De Graafschap. Twente is another club very interested in the player.
The Dutch second division is not unfamiliar territory for Deportivo, as they signed Zakaria Eddahchouri from that league last season. A potential move for Gijselhart would strengthen one of the positions currently most in question. The team’s defensive midfielders, José Ángel and Gragera, have lost Hidalgo’s trust and barely feature. Patiño, who is more creative, is also not a regular starter. Villares, a January signing, and the converted Mario Soriano are the manager’s options, though none of them are pure defensive midfielders.