Gjivai Zechiël looks back on failed transfer to Lille OSC: ‘In hindsight...’

Gjivai Zechiël has reflected on his collapsed move to Lille OSC in conversation with Voetbal International. The 22-year-old Feyenoord midfielder drew strong interest from the French club at the end of August, but the transfer never materialised.

Lille submitted several bids for Zechiël. Their final offer was said to be worth as much as seventeen million euros, including bonuses.

"That was pretty serious," the player says now. "At that moment, it seemed better for me from a sporting point of view. But in hindsight, I am grateful and happy that I am here, because I am simply doing well here."

"I feel at home here, and I am grateful to be out on the pitch here. I am happy that I am allowed to play for this club. In the end, you grow into the team, you start to realise your role in the team, but also what kind of staff you are dealing with. That is of course also an important part of it. The staff and our style of play suit me very well," Zechiël said.

Ultimately, the move did not happen. Feyenoord's hierarchy viewed Zechiël as a key player and wanted to keep him.

So Feyenoord stood firm. At the start of September, Sinclair Bischop of ESPN reported that the Rotterdam club had reached a verbal agreement with Zechiël over a contract extension, with his current deal running until mid-2028. "If everything goes well, that should be possible," the right-footer says now.

The midfielder has made an excellent start to the new season. Across Feyenoord's six competitive matches so far, Zechiël has scored four goals and provided three assists.