Surprise Transfer: Eliano Reijnders Joins Persib Bandung

Shocking news comes from the 2025/26 Liga 1 transfer market. Persib Bandung has successfully acquired the services of Dutch midfielder, Eliano Reijnders, from Eredivisie club, PEC Zwolle. The player was brought in on a full one-season loan, without a permanent purchase option. Eliano’s arrival is part of Persib’s major strategy to strengthen its midfield in order to compete at the top of Liga 1.

On the other hand, this move also impacts PEC Zwolle’s squad composition. The Dutch club is said to have prepared a young Dutch-Indonesian defender, Tristan Gooijer, as a replacement in the first team lineup. Although in a different position, Gooijer’s inclusion is considered capable of filling the slot left by Eliano and maintaining the balance of player regeneration at Zwolle.

Brief Profile of Eliano Reijnders

Eliano Reijnders was born in Zwolle, Netherlands, on October 23, 1999. He comes from a football family: his father, Martin Reynders, is a former professional footballer, while his brother, Tijjani Reijnders, now plays for Serie A giants, AC Milan. With that background, it’s not surprising that Eliano grew up with a competitive character from an early age.

Eliano’s career began at the PEC Zwolle academy, the club that raised him. In 2017, he briefly joined Jong AZ, AZ Alkmaar’s youth team, before finally returning to Zwolle. During his time with PEC Zwolle, Eliano was known as a tireless box-to-box midfielder with excellent ball distribution and the ability to maintain transitions between defense and attack.

His experience playing in the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie provided him with valuable experience. At 25 years old, Eliano is considered mature enough to face new challenges in Asia, and to become the engine of Persib Bandung’s game. His presence in the midfield is expected to provide stability as well as creativity, which has been an urgent need for Maung Bandung.

Loan Contract Details & Eliano’s Position at Persib

According to Dutch and Indonesian media reports, Eliano’s contract with Persib is a pure loan for one season. This means that after the 2025/26 Liga 1 ends, he will return to PEC Zwolle, unless there is a new agreement between the two clubs. As of now, there is no information about a permanent purchase option, so his status is truly confirmed as only a loaned player.

At Persib, Eliano will play as a central midfielder. He can act as a defensive midfielder to break down opponent attacks, or as an attacking midfielder who dictates the flow of the game. This flexibility projects him as one of the main pivots in the coach’s tactics. With his playing vision, European experience, and ball control technique, Eliano is believed to be able to become the “brain” of Persib’s midfield this season.

Tristan Gooijer: Eliano’s Replacement at PEC Zwolle

Despite being in a different position, Tristan Gooijer is mentioned as one of the players who will play an important role at PEC Zwolle after Eliano’s departure to Persib.

Tristan Gooijer was born in 2004 and is a product of the Ajax Amsterdam academy. He plays as a right-back who can also be deployed as a center-back. In the 2024/25 season, Ajax decided to loan him to PEC Zwolle to get more playing time. This decision brought Gooijer into the spotlight, especially because he has Indonesian blood from his family lineage.

Although Gooijer’s position is different from Eliano’s, his presence in Zwolle is considered capable of filling the void left by Eliano. This is because Eliano’s departure left Zwolle with one less loan slot, and Gooijer is guaranteed to get a larger share of regular playing time.
The similarities between the two are:

1. Both are young Dutch players who are still in their development phase.
2. Loan status at the club – Eliano to Persib, Gooijer to Zwolle from Ajax.
3. Strategic value for the club: Eliano strengthens Persib with European experience, while Gooijer strengthens Zwolle with long-term potential.

In addition, Gooijer has also been linked with the Indonesian National Team naturalization project, so his exposure in Indonesian media is increasing.

Dutch Media Reaction

The news of Eliano Reijnders’ loan to Persib Bandung and Tristan Gooijer’s inclusion in PEC Zwolle’s long-term project has become a highlight for Voetbalprimeur, one of the Dutch media outlets that regularly covers Eredivisie football.

According to their report, PEC Zwolle’s decision to release Eliano to Persib is a strategic move because the club wants to give other players a chance to develop, including Tristan Gooijer. The media also highlighted that Indonesia is now an attractive destination for young Dutch players of Asian descent, both as a career path and as an opportunity to play at an international level with the Garuda National Team.

Besides Voetbalprimeur, several other Dutch media outlets also highlighted the fact that Persib Bandung, one of the biggest clubs in Southeast Asia, dared to bring in an Eredivisie player. This is considered to show the increasing attractiveness of Liga 1 in the eyes of European players.

The loan of Eliano Reijnders to Persib Bandung is not only big news for bobotoh (Persib fans) and Liga 1 Indonesia, but also has an impact on the PEC Zwolle squad. With Eliano’s departure, space opens up for Tristan Gooijer, a young Ajax defender on loan, to get a bigger role in the first team.

Eliano is projected to be the driving force in Persib’s midfield, while Gooijer will strengthen Zwolle’s defense and extend the trend of young Indonesian-descent players getting attention in Europe.

Dutch media also highlighted this transfer positively: seeing how Persib can become a new stage for Eredivisie players, and how Gooijer’s name is getting closer to the Indonesian National Team naturalization project.

Ultimately, this transfer is a win-win solution: Persib Bandung gets a quality European midfielder, PEC Zwolle makes room for regeneration, while Tristan Gooijer gets a chance to shine—both in the Netherlands and eventually with Indonesia.