It has been a summer of change for Eredivisie champions Ajax.
Argentine international defender Lisandro Martínez followed manager Erik ten Hag to Manchester United ; meanwhile German giants Bayern Munich picked up right-back Noussair Mazraoui and promising midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
Top scorer Sébastien Haller also went to the Bundesliga, joining Borussia Dortmund in another big-money move, with defender Nicolás Tagliafico departing for Olympique Lyon and goalkeeper André Onana becoming one of Inter Milan’s annual free transfer bargains.
With such a loss of talent, new head coach Alfred Schreuder has spent a significant portion of the incoming fees in an attempt to recover the quality lost through the departures.
Young striker Brian Brobbey has returned on a permanent deal with league-leading left-back Owen Wijndal arriving from AZ Alkmaar.
Two transfers from the British Isles worth over £20M each in versatile defender Calvin Bassey of Scotland’s Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur’s attacker Steven Bergwijn bolster the Ajax squad.
However, their newest arrival is Francisco Conceição from FC Porto.
The Portugal under-21 international, also known as Chico, is making a bold move by departing the Primeira Liga champions managed by his father, Sérgio Conceição.
Amassing 916 minutes across 39 appearances for club and country in the 2021/22 season, the bulk of Chico’s playing time came as a substitute.
With the superstar duo of Vitinha and Fábio Vieira leaving Porto for nearly £40M each, there was potential for Chico’s minutes to increase.
However, the youngster has decided that his career progression lies in Amsterdam, at a club renowned for its talent development.
A starting role will not be guaranteed at De Godenzonen, with highly rated Antony in direct competition for his preferred right-winger role.
The two players share similarities, and with the Brazilian international reportedly edging closer to a move to Ten Hag’s Manchester United, Chico could be considered as a potential replacement for Antony, whether his transfer is fulfilled this summer or next.
In this tactical analysis in the form of a scout report, we will take a look at Francisco Conceição’s style of play that could torment Eredivisie defences at Ajax Amsterdam.
Francisco Conceição Positioning
Francisco Conceição (170cm/5’7”, 64kg/141lbs) is a left-footed right winger with naturally gifted agility and tricky ball manipulation.
His heatmap from the 2021/22 season is displayed below, showing the youngster was exclusively deployed on the right wing for Dragões and the Portuguese Esperanças.
Chico is most effective in operating in the vicinity of the right flank in comparison to the left, with his familiarity in these spaces off the right moulding his attacking habits, which are better suited to angles from the right wing.
Francisco Conceição Heat Map
FC Porto typically lined up in a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 formation for the vast majority of last season, occasionally switching to a 4-3-3.
During Schreuder’s six-month spell at Club Brugge, he led the Blauw-Zwart to the Belgian First Division A title by deploying five at the back formations.
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