Panathinaikos was one of several clubs interested in signing 21-year-old Dutch midfielder Cedric Hatenboer this summer, and PSV, FC Utrecht, FC Groningen, SC Heerenveen, and Lommel SK were also reportedly interested in the midfielder. Despite the interest from abroad, the player ultimately signed for Sparta, as he indicated a foreign transfer was not an option and he wanted to return to a familiar competition in the Netherlands. He joined Sparta on August 31, 2026, for a reported fee of €1 million, signing a contract until 2030. His current Transfermarkt valuation is €2.00m.