Who is Gjivai Zechiel and why do Arsenal and Chelsea want to sign him?

22 Sept 2026 21:03 BST | 5 min read

Gjivai Zechiël, Feyenoord — © IMAGO/FootballTransfers

Lars Leeftink | Redacteur

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Gjivai Zechiel has been called up to the Netherlands national team by new manager Xavi for the first time. It represents a new step in the already rapid development of the Feyenoord player and could also give him more international visibility amid rumoured interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

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There is no doubt that developments surrounding Zechiel are following one another at a rapid pace. Over the past year and a half, the midfielder was loaned out to Sparta Rotterdam and FC Utrecht. There, he was given the regular opportunity to prove himself at Eredivisie level.

Zechiel made a particularly strong impression at FC Utrecht under Ron Jans. In the 2025/26 season, he played fifty matches, starting in no fewer than 46 of them. Zechiel scored 10 goals and provided 10 assists from central midfield, meaning he was directly involved in a goal 20 times.

Current ETV

Gjivai Zechiël

M, DM (C)

Feyenoord

Gjivai Zechiël

M, DM (C)

Feyenoord

ETV Range

€7.5M - €12.5M

However, that productive season did not immediately earn him a starting place upon his return to Feyenoord. New manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst initially opted for a midfield consisting of Charles Vanhoutte, Oussama Targhalline, and Luciano Valente.

As a result, a departure for Zechiel during the summer seemed a realistic scenario, especially since there was interest in him.

Zechiel breaks through at Feyenoord

During pre-season, however, it became clear that Feyenoord did not want to let Zechiel leave just like that. The club even had a contract extension in mind. His situation also changed on a sporting level. As pre-season progressed, Zechiel received more and more opportunities from Van Bronckhorst.

Eventually, he secured a starting spot and has retained it ever since. Targhalline also started the season strongly. Valente was subsequently deployed on the left wing instead of the midfield, creating space for Zechiel and Targhalline. Since then, Feyenoord has walked off the pitch with 3-1, 7-0 and 5-0 victories against NEC, PEC Zwolle, and FC Utrecht.

For Feyenoord and Zechiel, that has worked out excellently so far. After eight matches, all as a starter, he stands at five goals and four assists. This means he has already been directly involved in a goal nine times. After just eight matches this season, Zechiel has therefore already reached 45% of the number of direct goal contributions from his entire previous season.

His production per match is also significantly higher at this stage. Last season, he averaged 0.4 direct goal contributions per appearance. This season, after eight matches, that average stands at well over 1.1. Naturally, it should be noted that eight matches is a small sample size.

Nevertheless, his start has been remarkably strong. This is also visible in the underlying data from FootballTransfers, where Zechiel ranks among the best-performing midfielders in the Eredivisie at this early stage of the season. That ranking could still change significantly during the season, but his performances have already been noticed at an international level.

Xavi has included Zechiel in his first squad for the Dutch national team. This gives the midfielder the opportunity to prove himself for Oranje for the first time. Due to the busy schedule, there may also be chances for playing minutes. The Netherlands plays four matches in two weeks in the Nations League.

This offers room to use various players, although naturally it is not yet certain what role Zechiel will be assigned immediately. The call-up alone, though, is already a new step for the midfielder. He gets the opportunity to train at a higher international level, and his presence with the Oranje can also increase his international visibility.

His development profile also remains interesting. Zechiel currently possesses a skill of 65.9 and a potential of 75.7, according to FootballTransfers data. This places a gap of 9.8 points between his current and projected level. There is therefore still clear room for development.

His potential does not automatically mean that he will reach the European elite. It primarily indicates that the data predicts further development above his current level. That development could also have financial consequences for Feyenoord.

Zechiel currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €10 million. If his ETV has risen again recently following an earlier decline, that development coincides with his breakthrough at Feyenoord and his strong production. However, it cannot automatically be concluded from this that his performances are the sole cause.

ETV is influenced by multiple factors. The same applies to his call-up for the Dutch national team. A permanent place in the Dutch squad can provide Zechiel with more experience and international visibility, but does not automatically result in higher skill, potential or ETV. These values develop based on multiple factors and can both rise and fall during the season.

His strong performances at Feyenoord certainly provide an interesting starting point. If Zechiel manages to maintain his current level over a longer period and also gets minutes with the Dutch national team, interest in the midfielder could increase further.

According to CaughtOffside, the 22-year-old has already emerged on the radar of Arsenal and Chelsea. They are said to have been left impressed with his "energy, ball progression and attacking output."

Things are moving fast for Zechiel. Last season, he was still playing on loan at FC Utrecht, in the summer a departure from Feyenoord seemed a realistic scenario, and now he is a starter in Rotterdam and has been selected for the Dutch national team.