Before Going To Persib, Persija Coach Outspoken Wants To Get Thom Haye

Thom Haye was linked with Persija before officially becoming a Persib player (VOI/Karisa Aurelia Tukan).

JAKARTA - Persija Jakarta coach, Mauricio Souza, revealed that his team was interested in signing Thom Haye before the Indonesian national team midfielder was officially introduced by Persib Bandung.

Souza admitted that there had been communication between the Kemayoran Tigers and the former Almere City player. However, he emphasized that he did not know what the reason was that the negotiations did not end in an agreement.

"About Thom, we (Persija) actually spoke to Thom at the beginning. However, I really don't know why we didn't deal and couldn't sign him at that time," Souza said in a statement quoted Friday, August 29, 2025.

The certainty of Thom Haye joining Persib Bandung is indeed quite surprising. The 30-year-old was announced as a new signing on the transfer market this season on a two-year contract.

Along with Thom Haye, Persib also introduced Italian foreign defender Federico Barba. Before getting closer to Persib, the midfielder was actually linked to Persija Jakarta.

Rumors at that time said that the Kemayoran Tigers intended to attract two players from the Indonesian national team diaspora at once. However, from the plan, only Jordi Amat actually joined.

Even though he failed to bring in Thom Haye, Souza didn't want to take it too much. Instead, he prayed for the midfielder to find happiness at his new club.

"However, that seems like his choice. I hope he is happy. It was Thom Haye's choice to join another team. I hope he can also be happy there," said the Brazilian coach.

Persija Jakarta continues to move in the transfer market by bringing in two foreign players to strengthen midfield. The two players are Van Basty Sousa and Fabio Calonego, who both come from Brazil, a country from Souza.