Netherlands Euro 2024 squad: Who Ronald Koeman will take to Germany

Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is currently holding the Netherlands’ No.1 jersey, but his position is by no means safe. Verbruggen only got his chance with Koeman last year when Mark Flekken got injured, and the Brentford shot-stopper might still be in with a shout of snagging his spot.

Meanwhile, Sparta Rotterdam’s Nick Olij gets on the plane after receiving his maiden international call-up in October, and Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow round out the four-man setup.

Led by Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands are blessed with plenty of quality at the back, and Nathan Ake will likely slot in alongside the Liverpool superstar after another impressive season at Manchester City.

Inter’s Denzel Dumfries and Daley Blind, who is enjoying a late career swansong at La Liga upstarts Girona, also played a key role in the Oranje’s Euros qualifying campaign and will have important parts to play in Germany.

Competition for starting roles will be fierce, though, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong and Tottenham summer signing Micky van de Ven also staking strong claims with their form at club level.

Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber, though, is out of the squad. It seemed that he might be able to get some minutes under his belt after suffering a torn ACL early in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, but Koeman has elected to leave the versatile defender at home.

Frenkie de Jong has been sidelined for nearly a month after picking up an ankle injury for Barcelona, and won’t play for his club again this season. However, Koeman has decided that the midfielder will be back in time to dictate the pace in midfield for the Netherlands at the Euros. Meanwhile, Jerdy Schouten is set to be the Barcelona playmaker’s right-hand man, having been one of PSV’s standout performers during their run to the top of the Eredivisie and Champions League knockout stages.

Atalanta duo Marten de Roon and Teun Koopmeiners can also slot into holding midfield roles, while uncapped Quinten Timber has shown his versatility at Feyenoord and keeps his place at the Euros after being named in Koeman’s squad for March friendly games against Scotland and Germany.

Interestingly, Georginio Wijnaldum has also made the cut, despite the fact he now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, and the former Liverpool midfielder’s experience could be very useful if the Oranje make it to the latter stages of the tournament. Ryan Gravenberch rounds out an interesting midfielder corps for the Dutch.

Koeman is known for his pragmatic style of play, and tends to favour one up front, with Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst set to fill that position despite a somewhat underwhelming season at Hoffenheim.

Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo will likely sit just behind Weghorst alongside Paris Saint-Germain starlet Xavi Simons, who has enjoyed a superb individual campaign on loan at RB Leipzig.

Memphis Depay is also still in the frame despite a mixed year with Atletico Madrid, and Steven Bergwijn also makes the squad despite struggling for Ajax this year.

There is a good chance Koeman will stick with three at the back, and Stefan de Vrij is likely to get the nod ahead of Van de Ven and Matthijs de Ligt purely based on experience, with Van Dijk and Ake almost certain starters.

Flying Inter wing-back Dumfries was a standout performer at the 2022 World Cup, and his runs in behind will be crucial again, while De Jong will hold everything together in the middle as Koeman looks to Simons and Gakpo for the cutting edge in the final third.

Weghorst should continue as the Netherlands’ target man, with his height and physicality allowing the Oranje to play more direct football and make the most of their considerable depth from wide positions.

Netherlands XI (3-4-2-1): Verbruggen; De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, Schouten, De Jong, Blind; Simons, Gakpo; Weghorst.

Only two Dutch players have been ruled out of contention completely for the the Euros, starting with Sven Botman, who suffered an ACL injury while playing for Newcastle in March. The Netherlands’ centre-back depth meant that he may not have made the squad regardless, but his absence is now confirmed as he plots his comeback in 2025.

Feyenoord’s Quilindschy Hartman will also be absent in Germany, after suffering a serious knee injury during the club’s 4-2 Eredivisie win over Utrecht on March 31. The 22-year-old left-back has been ruled out of the remainder of the season and will not be available for the Euros, which comes as a major blow amid reports he has been attracting interest from a host of Premier League clubs.

Outside of the two major injuries, Jurrien Timber is also something of a surprise omission. The Arsenal man figured to be nearing full fitness – and would have perhaps had a part to play for Koeman at the tournament. Former Bayern striker Joshua Zirkzee also stays at home after turning in a mixed campaign for Bologna.