FC Groningen has successfully completed a major dossier by extending the contract of goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen until mid-2029. The club is now focusing on the defense, where several challenges await. With the keeper's position secured for the long term, the priority of the Eredivisie club has shifted to the defense. There, the Northerners face several complex challenges. The 30-year-old goalkeeper reached a verbal agreement for a new contract that binds him to the club until mid-2029. With this, the Surinamese international chooses for sporting continuity in Groningen. The previous agreement expired in principle next summer, but an option for an extra season was already included. By breaking open the contract, which now contains improved conditions, FC Groningen has definitively rejected strong foreign interest from among others the Mexican Tigres and the Wrexham of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. With the keeper's issue ticked off, the focus is now fully on the defensive line. The first cutback has already occurred through the departure of Dies Janse. The defender returns to Ajax, which means that FC Groningen must go to the transfer market to add at least a new central defender to the selection. In addition, the club management must seriously take into account a departure of Thijmen Blokzijl. The young midfielder has expressed his desire to take a next step in his career. If the transfer does not come off this summer, he aims for a departure in 2027. Blokzijl has been valued at 5.4 million euros since this month and can bring a decent amount to the club. FC Groningen also knows that a transfer-free departure is threatened next season, which means a tough issue for technical director Mo Allach. Not only in the heart of the defense are there concerns, but also on the left side of the field there is uncertainty. The future of Marvin Peersman at the 'Pride of the North' is still uncertain. The left-back has an expiring contract in the Euroborg. Although FC Groningen has expressed its intention to continue with the defender, the two parties have not yet reached an agreement on a longer cooperation. Although Peersman is heading towards the end of his career at 35, the Belgian defender was still worth gold for FC Groningen last season. In 35 games, the left-back came to 2,955 minutes in the green and white of FC Groningen. It promises to be a crucial transfer period for the club, which finished last season in the Eredivisie in a respectable ninth place. To consolidate or even improve that stable position in the midfield, the defense will have to be thoroughly renovated in the coming months. The successful extension of the goalkeeper's contract is an important first step, but the real construction work must still begin for the field players.