PSV would welcome Malik Tillman back after his difficult spell at Bayer Leverkusen, but a reunion appears highly unlikely.

The German club wants to sell the American, with a potential asking price of €25-30 million making a return to Eindhoven difficult.

Malik Tillman’s difficult spell at Bayer Leverkusen has led to speculation about a possible return to PSV, but there is currently little to suggest that such a move is realistic, according to a report by PSV watcher Rik Elfrink of the Eindhovens Dagblad.

The United States international left PSV for just under €40 million in 2025 after being named the Eredivisie’s best player. The expectation in Germany was that Tillman would continue his development at Leverkusen and take another step towards the European elite.

Instead, he struggled to reproduce the influence he had shown in Eindhoven.

Tillman still registered eight goals and one assist in 43 appearances for Leverkusen, but his performances fell below expectations, and he came in for criticism from supporters. His recent response to comments directed at him online also generated considerable reaction among the German club’s fanbase.

Now Leverkusen are reportedly ready to move him on. With the German transfer window closing on Monday, the club must quickly decide the midfielder’s future.

The biggest obstacle for PSV is financial constraints.

Leverkusen’s preferred outcome is a permanent transfer rather than another loan, and the fee they are seeking has not been disclosed. However, a figure in the region of €25-30 million would likely be required to prevent the Bundesliga club from suffering a substantial financial loss on the player.

That immediately puts a potential PSV return into difficult territory.

The Eindhoven club certainly retains positive feelings towards Tillman. His departure came with his reputation intact, unlike his current situation in Germany, and PSV have maintained warm relations with the player.

That fits a broader club policy of keeping strong connections with former players. Recently, those relationships have even helped bring former players back to Eindhoven in different capacities, including Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Marco van Ginkel and Davy Pröpper.

A permanent transfer is currently considered unrealistic, but there could be one scenario in which PSV would become interested.

Should Leverkusen decide to send Tillman out on loan instead of completing a permanent sale, PSV would be prepared to compete for his signature, provided the financial conditions were acceptable.

Tillman also maintains good relationships with people inside the PSV setup, including assistant coach Rob Maas, whom he has known since his first spell in Eindhoven.

For now, however, those factors are not enough to make a reunion likely. Insiders consider the chances of Tillman returning to PSV extremely slim to non-existent at present.

But with Leverkusen looking for a solution before the German window closes, the situation could still change quickly. If an unexpected opening emerges, PSV would be ready to consider it.