A new era: Who could Xavi turn to for a new-look Netherlands squad?

[p]After Ronald Koeman resigned following a failed 2026 FIFA World Cup, Xavi was appointed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] manager on August 12th, roughly a month before his first challenge as [i]Oranje[/i] manager.[/p][p]It's shaping up to be a turning point in Dutch football - the first foreign manager since the early 1970s, an ageing core of key players, and a pool of talented players Koeman left largely untapped. Xavi has all the ingredients to usher in a new era.[/p][h2]Whose ship will it be?[/h2][p]The biggest question on the eve of Xavi's maiden squad release is whether [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a][/b] will remain part of the Dutch national team. The captain has left his future with [i]Oranje[/i] up in the air, telling [i][b]The Times[/b][/i] that it depended on a discussion with Xavi.[/p][p][b]"It depends a bit on that conversation. Everyone wants to feel appreciated, loved and important. I feel that I can still be valuable and important to the team," [/b]the 96-time international and captain of eight years said.[/p][image alt="Virgil van Dijk speaking to The Times" id="6b36cfd9-b30b-41bb-b70b-a3854b27a3cc" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8d8f8f9d-7a84-49d2-86f9-d22971ecc7f5" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]In his presentation, Xavi, who attended Liverpool's UEFA Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, emphasised that he does not care for age or name, leaving every door open concerning Van Dijk's availability.[/p][p]If Van Dijk does call it a day, Netherlands fans can count themselves lucky with this being the time with the most depth at the centre-back position. Players set to replace Van Dijk, for as that's possible, include [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-de-ven-micky/rotN6HH8/"]Micky van de Ven[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-hecke-jan-paul/WG59HGIH/"]Jan Paul van Hecke[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a][/b], while Xavi could also turn to potential newcomers like [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beukema-sam/xAzIxa5n/"]Sam Beukema[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-den-berg-sepp/6X0pS3GR/"]Sepp van den Berg[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hendriks-ramon/x2tZQYZD/"]Ramon Hendriks[/a], or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baas-youri/jyjasemf/"]Youri Baas[/a][/b].[/p][p]As a captain, however? The logical decision would be to make [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a] [/b]the next Oranje captain, but he won't be present yet, with an injury keeping him out. With the Barcelona midfielder absent, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a] [/b]is a likely candidate, while [b]Cody Gakpo [/b]is someone who's spent a lot of time with Van Dijk and possesses natural leadership qualities as well.[/p][h2]Change of the guard[/h2][p]Along with Van Dijk, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ake-nathan/6LBvaQoh/"]Nathan Ake[/a] [/b]could be done in Oranje, at least for the time being. Pick any of the names mentioned above to potentially replace him and add guys like [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maatsen-ian/nPiZrgf3/"]Ian Maatsen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rots-mats/r3E7T8pf/"]Mats Rots[/a][/b] for the left-back spot.[/p][p]In general, we could see a lot of old players move on, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Players like [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/depay-memphis/zo1h8MrD/"]Memphis Depay[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/weghorst-wout/tpWMDFoL/"]Wout Weghorst[/a][/b] should be on their way out at [i]Oranje[/i], with the likes of [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meerdink-mexx/OjqNXAED/"]Mexx Meerdink[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flemming-zian/KCdpVxYS/"]Zian Flemming[/a][/b] raring to go.[/p][p]In midfield, the sudden return of [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-roon-marten/SUUtwXea/"]Marten de Roon[/a][/b] should be short-lived. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reijnders-tijani/f17EnPl3/"]Tijjani Reijnders[/a]' move to Saudi Arabia will likely not stop Xavi from calling him up, while youngsters like [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smit-keet/G0KFeND3/"]Kees Smit[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zechiel-gjivai/6BQvLBnt/"]Gjivai Zechiel[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valente-luciano/4j2kSvnC/"]Luciano Valente[/a][/b] are knocking on the door.[/p][embed guid="c35bbe89-596a-41a3-a49a-c4cd92721c4d" url="https://x.com/Feyenoord/status/2096357874649764093?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The rest of the core present at the World Cup was quite young and won't need replacing. The goalkeeper position is filled beautifully with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verbruggen-bart/6PChQYLj/"]Bart [b]Verbruggen[/b][/a][b] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/roefs-robin/Ao7TtUZn/"]Robin Roefs[/a][/b], and you could take either [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flekken-mark/INE64p13/"]Mark Flekken[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scherpen-kjell/lbRoOiLm/"]Kjell Scherpen[/a][/b] to be the third-choice 'keeper, for example.[/p][p]Left-back was a rather weak spot, also with Koeman stubbornly playing Van de Ven there instead of [b]Maatsen or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hato-jorrel/nFLCJBzK/"]Jorrel Hato[/a][/b], but with those two and the up-and-coming Mats Rots, that should be good to go. At right-back, [b]Denzel Dumfries [/b]has the position on lock, with [b]Lutsharel Geertruida and young [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/read-givairo/OCO1xQ7o/"]Givairo Read[/a] [/b]likely to back him up.[/p][p]Central midfield is in good hands with [b]Frenkie de Jong, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koopmeiners-teun/lOCjQkeo/"]Teun Koopmeiners[/a], and Tijjani Reijnders[/b] all below 30, and [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kluivert-justin/fq4lU5sI/"]Justin Kluivert[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-quinten/Ag97KtSd/"]Quinten Timber[/a], and the injured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simons-xavi/noo0L9zk/"]Xavi Simons[/a][/b] all 27 or younger. Behind them, could guys like [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koopmeiners-peer/ba7Bnigm/"]Peer Koopmeiners[/a] or Wouter Burger [/b]break through under Xavi?[/p][p]Up front, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/summerville-crysencio/EaRET7t6/"]Crysencio Summerville[/a][/b] will have the same luxury as Reijnders and likely stay in the squad after a fantastic World Cup. [b]Cody Gakpo[/b] is simply guaranteed a spot, while [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-bommel-ruben/djWkTIzc/"]Ruben van Bommel[/a][/b] could (should?) make his senior debut, with [b]Noa Lang[/b] not a major factor at Napoli at the moment. Also keep an eye out for [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daal-ro-zangelo/b975TKAK/"]Ro-Zangelo Daal[/a][/b], who's breaking through at AZ as we speak.[/p][image alt="Brian Brobbey (L) and Donyell Malen will be the Netherlands' top two strikers" id="cc1d7e08-32a7-45ec-be0c-dbf8200467ff" credit-line="Photo by DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP" guid="c67e7345-0ad0-4fe4-8df9-2386de33f2e9" original-width="6000" original-height="4000" /][p][b]Donyell Malen and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a][/b] will fight to see who takes the starting spot at striker, with Malen obviously the favourite for the role.[/p][h2]What will the squad look like?[/h2][p]What the exact 26-man squad will look like is anyone's question but Xavi's. Will he even make it a 26-man squad or will he follow Jurgen Klopp's example and call up well over 30 players and just experiment? We shall see.[/p][p]For now, it's all speculation. We're not afraid of some speculation on this front either, so Flashscore's [b]Paul Winters and Finley Crebolder[/b] tried their luck at predicting Xavi's first Oranje squad.[/p][p][b]Paul's squad[/b][/p][p][b]Goalkeepers:[/b] Mark Verbruggen, Robin Roefs, Kjell Scherpen[/p][p][b]Defenders[/b]: Jurrien Timber, Denzel Dumfries, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Lutsharel Geertruida, Jorrel Hato, Ian Maatsen[/p][p][b]Midfielders[/b]: Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders, Joey Veerman, Gjivai Zechiel, Luciano Valente, Kees Smit, Quinten Timber, Teun Koopmeiners[/p][p][b]Forwards[/b]: Crysencio Summerville, Justin Kluivert, Cody Gakpo, Ruben van Bommel, Brian Brobbey, Donyell Malen, Zian Flemming[/p][p][b]Finley's squad[/b][/p][p][b]Goalkeepers[/b]: Mark Verbruggen, Robin Roefs, Kjell Scherpen[/p][p][b]Defenders[/b]: Jurrien Timber, Denzel Dumfries, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Givairo Read, Jorrel Hato[/p][p][b]Midfielders[/b]: Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders, Joey Veerman, Gjivai Zechiel, Luciano Valente, Kees Smit, Teun Koopmeiners, Peer Koopmeiners[/p][p][b]Forwards[/b]: Crysencio Summerville, Justin Kluivert, Cody Gakpo, Ruben van Bommel, Brian Brobbey, Donyell Malen, Mexx Meerdink[/p][infobox id="383e2abc-afe3-4139-8e06-aa4254ac57ee" /]