The 21-year-old Ayoni Santos broke through in Sparta's first team last season and quickly caught the eye of top Dutch teams.
On Wednesday, PSV confirmed the signing of Santos on a five-year contract. Sparta have reportedly received a joint-record fee of €5 million for the attacking midfielder, who recorded two goal contributions in 26 games last season.
“These were nerve-wracking days, during which I hoped everything would fall into place in time,” Santos said on the club website. “I’m incredibly proud that I can now call myself a player for the best club in the Netherlands. The next step is to show on the pitch what I’m capable of."
Santos's signing follows a day after Sami Ouaissa joined PSV from NEC Nijmegen, who cost the champions €9 million. In total, PSV have now signed six new players after winning their third consecutive Eredivisie title.
"I’d describe myself as a quick player with strong dribbling skills, who’s good at winning the ball back and has a great understanding of the game. Ultimately, I hope to become a first-team regular and, of course, win trophies," Santos continued.
Director of Football Earnest Stewart shared his delight at signing Santos, who debuted for the Cape Verdean national team earlier this year.
"Ayoni is a creative and dynamic player, strong in one-on-one situations and possessing the energy and intensity we are looking for. Although he is already performing at a high level, we believe he still has plenty of room to develop. That is why we have made a conscious decision to bring him to PSV now. We are convinced that Ayoni has a bright future ahead of him.”
PSV are on 10 points after 4 Eredivisie games, trailing leaders AZ by 10 points. The reigning champions visit title rivals Ajax next on Saturday, September 5th.
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