Speaking ahead of this weekend’s trip to Bristol City, Benitez said: “I had a conversation with Siem. We both agreed that he has to play.
“He has to play regularly after these years with some little problems.
“I think it was the time to give him a chance to play every week. It’s an opportunity.
“Everything is more or less done - hopefully, he can go to PSV, play and enjoy his football, and afterwards we can bring him back and he can play at the level we know he has.
“The main thing is that he has to play.
“He can go there and play and reach the level we know he can play at.”
Since arriving on Tyneside, there have been persistent question marks over whether De Jong has the physical capabilities to survive in English football.
Benitez himself accepts that De Jong is probably better suited to the Premier League or Eredivisie than the Championship - but believes the Dutchman could have been effective in home games in the Championship.
“If you play at home, he can do well [in the Championship],” Benitez added.
“Because of the physicality and intensity of the Championship, and because he has not played so much, it will be easier for him to play in the Premier League or maybe Holland.”