Gent in talks with Mallorca over return of former Union St Gilloise defender to the Pro League | OneFootball

After it looked like Gent would miss out on their target, HLN are reporting that the Buffaloes and Mallorca are now in advanced talks over the transfer of former Union St Gilloise defender Siebe van der Heyden. The central defender, who left Belgium back in 2023, looks set for a return to the Pro League. After losing a key defender in Tsuyoshi Watanabe to Feyenoord, Gent needed to replace him. In van der Hayden they will be getting a player who performed well at this level last time he was in Belgium.

The 27-year-old Belgian came through the Anderlecht academy but never made an appearance for the first team. Instead, he spent time with Oostende and FC Eindhoven before joining Union in 2019. Van der Heyden made 117 appearances for the side as he helped them return to the top flight and challenge for the league title. His move to La Liga has not been successful, with just 13 appearances in two seasons. For the second half of the 2024/2025 campaign he was loaned to Bundesliga side St Pauli, where he played 13 times and scored once.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson