FC Utrecht is already very active in signing new players, while the transfer period officially has yet to begin. The club has secured defender Derry Murkin as the fourth reinforcement for the new season.
The 25-year-old Murkin arrives from Schalke 04, which plays in the second tier of Germany. Reportedly, FC Utrecht is paying over 1 million euros for the left-back, who is signing for four years with the number four of the past Eredivisie season.
Murkin thus returns to the Netherlands after almost two years. The defender played for FC Volendam until the summer of 2023. After a good season in the Eredivisie, the English-born player, who moved to the Netherlands at the age of four, earned a transfer to Schalke. At that club, he made 57 appearances.
With the arrival of Murkin, FC Utrecht is most likely responding to the upcoming departure of Souffian El Karouani. The regular left-back in coach Ron Jans’ team has previously indicated that he wants to make a transfer this summer. Last winter, he was of interest to PSV, but FC Utrecht then held him to his contract.
Thus, FC Utrecht is already actively stirring on the transfer market, while it only opens in the Netherlands on June 16. Earlier, the Domstedelingen already secured Dani de Wit (VfL Bochum), Davy van den Berg (PEC Zwolle) and Mike Eerdhuijzen (Sparta Rotterdam).
The early transfers are partly prompted by FC Utrecht’s upcoming European adventure. Due to the fourth place in the Eredivisie, the Domstedelingen qualified for the second qualifying round of the Europa League, which is scheduled for the end of July. The Eredivisie starts on August 8.