Borussia Dortmund have announced Joey Veerman: according to the Dutch press the German club triggered a release clause reported at 22 million euros in his PSV contract. The deal runs until 30 June 2031, the shirt is number 25, and the player is a twenty-seven-year-old midfielder who has won the last three Dutch titles.
The deal at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Player | Joey Veerman |
| Born | 19 November 1998 (27) |
| Place of birth | Purmerend, Netherlands |
| Position | Central midfielder |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| From | PSV Eindhoven |
| To | Borussia Dortmund |
| Reported fee | 22 million euros, release clause |
| Contract | Until 30 June 2031, number 25 shirt |
| Last season | 41 appearances, 8 goals |
A clause, not a negotiation
The detail that changes the nature of this deal is the mechanism. There was no long negotiation between clubs, with bids and counter-bids: as reported in the Netherlands, Dortmund paid the figure written into the contract and PSV had no say in it.
That is how a release clause works. At the moment of signing, the selling club agrees to fix a price above which it cannot object. In return it usually gets a lower salary or a longer deal. It is a bet that the number, a few years later, will still be high enough to deter buyers.
Twenty-two million for a midfielder who has just won a third straight league title and played Champions League football suggests that, this time, PSV lost the bet. Not because the figure is low in absolute terms, but because it does not reflect how central the player had become.
What Dortmund are getting
Veerman is a build-up midfielder. Sporting director Ole Book introduced him by talking about creativity, technical quality and vision. Those are the three words used for a player who has to receive the ball, lift his head and decide, not for one who has to run and win it back.
Last season at PSV he put together 41 appearances and 8 goals, numbers that indicate a real attacking contribution for a player who is not an out-and-out forward. His career path is a story of steady rather than accelerated growth: Volendam until 2019, Heerenveen until 2022, then PSV.
With the Netherlands he scored his international goal against Germany in March 2024 and was part of the Euro 2024 squad, a tournament the Dutch ended in the semi-finals.
Why Dortmund wanted him
Borussia Dortmund open their league campaign on 29 August against Hamburger SV, with the Bundesliga starting on 28 August. Arriving ten days before kick-off with a finished midfielder, one who has won in a competitive league and played in Europe, follows a different logic from buying a twenty-year-old.
Dortmund have historically built their model on buying young players to sell on. A twenty-seven-year-old bought for twenty-two million is not that: he is a signing made to deliver now, in a role where experience counts for more than pace.
On wages, the Dutch press reported a doubling of his PSV salary, with figures put at between three and four million a year. Those numbers are not confirmed by the clubs and should be treated accordingly.
The question left open
Moving from the Eredivisie to the Bundesliga is not a neutral step for this type of midfielder. In the Netherlands PSV dominate possession in almost every match, and a deep playmaker has time and space to look up. In Germany that time shrinks, the pressure arrives earlier and higher, and the same technical quality has to be delivered half a second sooner.
That is the real test of this transfer, and it is not about Veerman’s talent but about the setting in which he will have to use it. The opening weeks will show whether Dortmund bought a player or a way of playing.
Sources: official Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven communications, the official Bundesliga portal, Dutch and German sports press, public archives. Financial figures are press reports, not confirmed terms.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Joey Veerman cost Borussia Dortmund?
The Dutch press reported that Dortmund triggered a release clause of 22 million euros written into his PSV contract. Other outlets put the figure at 21.5 million. These are reported numbers: neither club published the value of the deal.
Who is Joey Veerman?
A Dutch midfielder born on 19 November 1998 in Purmerend, 1.85 metres tall. He played for Volendam and Heerenveen before joining PSV midway through the 2021-22 season.
What contract has he signed at Dortmund?
A five-year deal running until 30 June 2031. He wears the number 25 shirt at Borussia Dortmund.
What did he win at PSV?
Three consecutive Dutch league titles, in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, plus two national cups and three Super Cups. Last season he made 41 appearances and scored 8 goals.
Has he played for the Netherlands?
Yes. He scored his international goal against Germany in March 2024 and was in the squad for Euro 2024, where the Dutch reached the semi-finals.
