Cocu has been linked with a move to Sydney FC in the A-League as a marquee player and has reportedly been given two weeks to make his mind on the switch Down Under.

The midfielder and club captain, has already expressed his desire to see out his career away from the Eredivisie.

And Brazilian centre-back Alex wants to return to parent club Chelsea after spending two seasons on loan in Holland.

"We indeed think it is a fact that Alex and Cocu will stop playing for PSV," Koeman added on PSV TV.

"They are two most important guys. You cannot fill their places with just two other players.

"So we must become stronger, to have a team that can battle on all fronts for the same results as this season - the Dutch championship and the quarter-finals of the Champions league.

"But that won't be an easy task."

Former Ajax boss Koeman led his side to the Eredivisie championship on the last day of the season, ending a torrid spring with a 5-1 win over Vitesse Arnhem.

But Koeman can plan for 2007-08 safe in the knowledge that his services have been retained by chairman Frits Schuitema, although Cocu and Alex are almost certainly not going to return to the Philips Stadion.

"There have been a few very good talks and that has resulted in me being the coach of PSV for next season too and I am glad about that," he said.

"I told PSV quite fast that I wanted to go on.

"The championship brought a lot of joy back, but that was not enough for me. I wanted to know exactly how the flags were hanging. And from the talks we had I got a good feeling.

"I think that it is important for the club and potential new players that there is clarity and that they know who is the coach."