Sam Beukema is a 21-year-old centre-back currently playing in the Dutch Eerste Divisie for Go Ahead Eagles. He is right-footed, has a lean but strong build, and is 6’2” or 188cm tall. He came through the Go Ahead Eagles academy, although spent time with both DSC Diepenveen and Twente, and...
In all of the rumours and narrative surrounding the end of the summer transfer window, it can be argued that the best deal was struck right at the very start of the process, and to relatively little acclaim. The deal in question saw Dutch giants Ajax acquire the services of...
Ajax Amsterdam is home to one of the most renowned footballing academies in the world. Their academy, De Toekomst, is respected by every international club for their ability to develop and train youth talents, making winners and selling them for high margins to other clubs. Notable amongst these talents were...
If it hasn’t been said already, it needs to be said now: The Americans are on their way to becoming a footballing powerhouse. Okay, maybe that was supposed to happen 20 years ago, but now is actually the time. If you don’t believe it, take a look at the talent....
FC Groningen has been home to many footballing stars over the years, including Arjen Robben, Ronald Koeman, and Luis Suarez. But most recently, the Dutch club nurtured Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, before his move to Celtic. He has since become the best defender in world football. With the cancellation...
Ajax Amsterdam are famous for their approach towards youth development for several decades now. There are only a few academies all over the world where students get so much trust and attention as they do at the most successful club of the Netherlands. Every year, they manage to promote a...
Amid recent news that the Eredivisie may cancel the current season, PSV Eindhoven may have another opportunity to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage. They had reached the second qualifying round last July but lost on away goals to Swiss side FC Basel. Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries is among...
On the 23rd February 2020, it was announced that Hakim Ziyech had agreed to a deal to leave Ajax and join Chelsea FC. That this move was announced without incessant media speculation was indicative of the player. Whilst on the pitch Ziyech is a creative force, the Moroccan international is...
PSV’s sensational prodigy Mohamed Ihattaren is quickly gaining fame after months of consistently impressive performances in Eredivisie. The Netherlands youth international only made his debut with the senior side of PSV last season, coming in very late in the game in a 2-1 home win against Groningen. He then made...
It is the end of an era for Juventus as the five consecutive title-winning manager Massimiliano Allegri will no longer lead the team. The club board decided that after five successful years with the Italian specialist, they want to see the club go in a different direction. They won it...
Ajax Amsterdam were capable of reaching the Champions League semi-finals with a relatively young side under Erik ten Hag. The Dutch coach could mold the young Ajax team into a competitive Champions League side. Therefore, Erik ten Hag utilised several tactical concepts that lent Ajax their dominant style of play....
André Onana is one of the breakout stars of this season. The goalkeeper of Ajax reached the semi-final of the Champions League and won the Eredivisie, as well as the Dutch cup. He missed just three out of the 58 games of Ajax in this campaign. Especially because of their...
In Total Football Analysis’ February magazine edition, I analysed some of Eredivisie’s important transfer trends. While youth academy optimisation and scouting around Europe are commonplace, many Dutch teams are discovering the wonders of finding hidden gems in the Americas. Brazilian winger David Neres – hailing from football metropolis São Paolo...
The kids’ kitchen is cooking another one. Ajax centre-forward Kasper Dolberg is carrying the torch for the next generation of youth prospects in the Dutch capital. He’s taken the mantle from Christian Eriksen as being the new Danish wonderkid, and with clubs such as Napoli and Barcelona tracking his progress, he’s sure to be the...
When the term inverted winger is mentioned, the mind quickly envisions Arjen Robben on the right touchline picking up the ball and driving inside on his exquisite left foot, curling a shot into the upper corner of the goal, evading the desperate lunge of the helpless goalkeeper. The inverted winger...
Over the past few years, we've witnessed a huge amount of young talents getting all the attention from the biggest European clubs. Scouts are going crazy and teams are paying enormous figures just to make sure these young talents are going to develop their skills in their club. One of...
Justin Kluivert's name may sound familiar to you, even if you're a sporadic watcher of the Dutch Eredivisie. Of course, Justin's father is Patrick Kluivert, the famed Ajax and Barcelona striker. The days of Patrick's career have passed, and the family torch has been passed to Justin, a 19-year-old diminutive...
