Excelsior Rotterdam technical director Mark Ruijl talks about the missed transfer of striker Kaoru Mitoma in 2021. Ruijl was then head of scouting at Feyenoord. In the recent Excelsior podcast, Ruijl revealed that Feyenoord was close to signing Kaoru Mitoma in 2021. The transfer ultimately did not go through, and the Japanese player later became a top player in the Premier League. Ruijl disclosed that Feyenoord made an offer for the striker, who later broke through at Brighton & Hove Albion. According to Ruijl, this was the first offer he was allowed to make under technical director Frank Arnesen. Feyenoord thought they had found a hidden gem at the time, but ultimately Brighton pulled ahead due to their financial resources in the Premier League. Ruijl believes that players in the Eredivisie earn a lot of money, but also knows that players in other countries can earn more. He thinks that's not the main reason for making a decision. 'What I find very difficult to express is the influence of money'. Ruijl also spoke about his approach to scouting, the combination of data and football instinct when evaluating players, and how he worked on talent identification and transfer policy at Feyenoord. He also said that his experiences at Feyenoord have shaped him in his new role as technical director of Excelsior. 'I simply felt a strong need to, despite the fact that I really enjoyed it at that club and am grateful to many people there, felt that I also had a need to be in a smaller organization where I can do my own thing more'. Thus Ruijl in the Excelsior Podcast. The revelation about Mitoma was interesting because Ruijl gave a glimpse behind the scenes of a transfer that could have been a huge sports and financial hit.