Eredivisie ace Milan van Ewijk has opened the door to a potential summer move to Fulham, telling De Telegraaf that the Premier League is the ‘top of the top’.
Van Ewijk had mixed feelings when the Cottagers first came calling last month.
On one hand, such an opportunity was not easy to resist; England’s top flight the dream destination for the most ambitious footballers. On the other, Van Ewijk had reservations about swapping guaranteed first-team action at Heerenveen for a back-up role at Craven Cottage.
Kenny Tete, one of the most in-form right-backs around, would certainly take some shifting.
Amsterdam-born Van Ewijk, valued at around £10 million (Voetbal International), could find himself back on Fulham’s agenda come the summer, with January recruit Cedric Soares only on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season.
And the 22-year-old admits that he would once again have to weigh up the pros and the cons before coming to a conclusion about a move that could either light a fire under his career or see it stall.
Fulham are fans of Heerenveen right-back Milan van Ewijk
“I let everything come to me. It was not a must for me to leave in the winter,” explains Van Ewijk.
“I certainly have the ambition to make a step forward. But my time will come. I just keep doing my thing at SC Heerenveen. I have to develop myself in the coming months and improve my stats, and then we will see what happens in the summer.
“Making a step in the summer is nicer (than in the winter).”
Van Ewijk has been linked with Celtic in the past, and was a candidate to replace Tottenham-bound Pedro Porro at Sporting Lisbon before Hector Bellerin swapped Barcelona for the Portuguese capital.
“My preference is for where the sporting plan is best. And where it is realistic to take a step,” Van Ewijk adds.
“The Premier League, for example, is the top of the top. The step from the middle of the Eredivisie to that is very big. Then an intermediate step might be more convenient. On the other hand, an opportunity may present itself that you will never get again.
“You have to look at it from both sides.”
Van Ewijk, speedy and attack-minded, has three goals and two assists from 24 games this season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
