Voetbal International reports that Sydney van Hooijdonk has transferred to PEC Zwolle on loan, and that the player contacted the club himself to see if there was interest. PEC Zwolle was considering two strikers before the deadline, and van Hooijdonk decided on Saturday that he wanted to return to the Netherlands. The club learned of this on Sunday morning and included an option to buy in the discussions. A videocall took place on Monday which was positive, and PEC Zwolle proceeded with van Hooijdonk due to his familiarity with the Eredivisie and his qualities. According to the report, van Hooijdonk was on PEC Zwolle's list but was not considered available until the message from his representatives.

According to Voetbalprimeur.nl, Sydney van Hooijdonk personally contacted PEC Zwolle to arrange a loan transfer, which was then completed quickly. Van Hooijdonk revealed that he knew there was a strong possibility he would leave because the club wanted to be released from his contract.

It was announced on Tuesday evening that PEC Zwolle has signed Sydney van Hooijdonk. The 26-year-old Dutch attacker joins on a one-season loan from the Portuguese club Estrela Amadora, with the deal including an option to buy. Van Hooijdonk is returning to the Netherlands after a short period abroad, having moved to Estrela Amadora on a free transfer from NAC Breda in January. The player expressed his happiness about the transfer and his return to the Eredivisie, stating he is convinced his qualities can be important for the team. Technical director Gerry Hamstra commented that Van Hooijdonk's profile fits their search for an attacking reinforcement, and mentioned his goal-oriented nature, power, and experience of nearly 100 matches in the Eredivisie. Van Hooijdonk, who has two caps for the Netherlands U21 team, is under contract with Estrela Amadora until June 2028 and has a current market value of €1.00m according to Transfermarkt.