Sturm Graz is reportedly interested in PSV talent Nicolas Verkooijen. According to the newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad, the Austrian champion is one of the clubs that has the 19-year-old offensive midfielder on its radar. Verkooijen was born on December 5, 2006, in Turnhout and moved to the PSV academy in 2016. He went through several youth levels and later made the jump to Jong PSV. The few minutes of play in the first team are the reason why the talent wants to change. PSV wanted to keep the Belgian and show him further development opportunities, but the competition is great. Verkooijen explained his decision quite clearly: „I'm taking a new step in my development. On the one hand, it's very sad. I've been here for an incredibly long time, but the opportunity is now presenting itself to do something else“. Sportingly, Verkooijen is mainly at home in the offensive and central midfield. He can also be used as a false striker or on the right wing. His strengths lie in ball processing, the timing of his runs, and work against the ball. Jong-PSV coach Stijn Schaars particularly praised his technical skills: „He has a very good basic technique. His first ball contact is almost always good, he processes balls well and makes the right decisions“. Verkooijen is also described positively in terms of character. Schaars described him as „a very stable boy who works every day to get better“. For Sturm, Verkooijen would be an interesting prospect player: young, flexible, well-trained, and available on a free transfer or at a low cost. However, it currently seems more likely that he will continue his career in Germany. A final decision has not yet been made. Lavalée, Aiwu, and Karic are likely to leave. Dimitri Lavalée could leave Sturm Graz after four years and return to his Belgian homeland. According to media reports, the defensive all-rounder has agreed with Standard Liège, as he would like to return to his homeland. The Belgian was a reliable starter for Sturm for a long time and could be used in both the inner defense and on the left in the defense. However, since his cruciate ligament rupture at the end of November, he has been out and could not help his team in the championship. At the same time, a lot could happen in Graz beyond Lavalée: according to information from the Kleine Zeitung, Emir Karic and Emanuel Aiwu are currently not training with the team because solutions are being sought for both. There is interest in Karic from the USA, and a transfer of the 29-year-old left-back is imminent.