With Ajax making it to the UEFA Champions League second round for the first time in over a decade, the club is living one of its best moments in recent times. This group of young players has been attracting some attention, with a lot of the big clubs’ scouts keeping a keen eye.
The Ajax system is producing again and this latest batch of players is exciting the world of football. One of the biggest prospects is Dutch international Donny van de Beek. In this player analysis, we will be looking at what his major assets are as well as areas for improvement using statistics.
Player profile
One of their own, central midfielder Donny van de Beek, is the Dutch sensation that has been part of the new wave of kids in the de Godenzonen. As a member of the Ajax midfield, he follows in the footsteps of talents such as Ronald De Boer, Clarence Seedorf and Christian Eriksen.
The 21-year-old prospect has got clubs such as Barcelona, Manchester City, and Chelsea alerted; a big asset for the Ajax system. He has already made 32 appearances for club and country this season. He is a youth product and so is embedded in their way of playing, fitting into both the number six and eight positions. He has great potential and is sure to be helped on his way by coach Erik ten Hag.
Forward passing analysis
One of Van de Beek’s biggest strengths is his ability to spot vertical lanes to play into. These are the spaces created when a team plays with both wingers hugging the touchline, spreading the opposition horizontally. He looks to be direct in his play, causing the most amount of danger he can with his passes, as opposed to keeping it ticking over and retaining possession. Van de Beek likes to play straight into the attacking players, or in behind opposition defences.
Passing forward is a strength of his, playing with speed and direction. In order to do this, Van de Beek possesses the spatial awareness and the vision to locate the space quickly. He can quickly risk-assess his passes and interpret the area around him, which allows him to be efficient while being forward thinking.
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