4 Ways Ajax Could Replace Barcelona-bound Frenkie De Jong

The Eredivisie took all the spotlight at the turn of the new year after Frenkie de Jong made history to become the most expensive Dutch transfer ever following the confirmation of his move to Barcelona. Having said that, from Ajax’s perspective, the underlying problem remains that the gems made in Toekomst are almost always prised away by European giants with more spending power and ambition.

Despite being just a feeder club to the top dogs across Europe, one thing they excel in is filling their De Jong-shaped hole seamlessly. Whether it is grooming talents or finding a top-notch replacement from outside the club, Ajax are always a step ahead in terms of squad management. Be it Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez in the 2000s or Jan Vertonghen, Christian Erkisen in the 2010s, Ajax have always managed to prove that the club is bigger than any individual talent, irrespective of their importance to the team.

However, at a time where their biggest midfield talent is departing the club, what should Ajax do to replace him? Should they look at their academy players or look out for options outside? The funds are there to be spent if they do decide to bring in a potential world-class talent but the question remains - who can fill the shoes of Frenkie De Jong?

Let’s have a look at some of the realistic options that Ajax could consider to replace Frenkie De Jong:

Sander Berge

Sander Berge is a vibrant 21-year-old central midfielder from Norway who plays for KRC Genk. He is one of those rare crop of midfielders who has a good blend of technique, physique and high work-rate. His 6-feet-4-inch frame makes him a commanding figure at the heart of midfield and it is the sort of physical presence that Ajax have not had in a long while.

However, the surprise element about the Norweigan is how good he is on the ball despite his height and the not-so-low centre of gravity. When Berge is in possession, he exhibits a combination of silk and steel that is simply exquisite.

Similar to De Jong, he often drops deep closer to the center-backs and conduct the play into the middle and final third. Berge has the knack of doing it seamlessly thanks to his ability to break the lines either through his sleek passing or sudden bursts of dribbling. This makes it difficult for the opponents to press or dispossess him, exactly what Ajax would be looking to add to their muddle in the middle.

In the on-going season, Berge has been a key player for Genk, with some of his most impressive displays coming in the Europa League campaign. In 4 Europe League starts, the Norwegian had 1 goal, 1 assist, 6 key passes and 4 completed dribbles. While Berge has contributed to the attack, he also helps out defensively, in those 4 games, he also had 8 tackles, 6 interceptions and won 10 aerial duels. He also helped in retaining possession as he averaged 67 passes per game at a completion rate of 87%.

As the numbers show, Berge is a total package that can bring firm control to the midfield as he’s adept in all departments of the game. Should Ajax be successful in signing this gem, there’s no doubt that the transition from De Jong would be seamless. According to various reports, Ajax already have him on their radar, with the fee around the £15-20 million mark.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odengaad signed for Real Madrid when he was merely 15 years old and it was largely believed that he would become one among the world’s best. However, owing to various reasons, his time at Real Madrid Castilla didn’t pan out as expected. To add to the complications was the pressure that he faced in the form of unbelievably high demand in terms of growth, performance and consistency. Although Odegaard did make 62 appearances with the Castilla, he could manage only 1 appearance for the main team.

His fortunes turned ever since his arrival to the Eredivisie after his 18-month loan move to Heerenveen in the 2017 winter transfer window. The Norwegian wonder-kid became a regular starter for the Dutch club and there was no looking back since. On completion of his loan period with Heerenven, he joined Vitesse Arnhem last summer on a 1-year loan deal, for whom he has been a key player.

Undoubtedly, Odegaard has been on a purple patch this season with Vitesse and has arguably been one of the best players in the 2018-19 Eredivisie season so far. He’s yet another classy player with exquisite technique and possesses all necessary skills of a midfielder. Despite the fact that Odegaard has been primarily deployed on the right wing, he can still do justice when given midfield duties.

Moreover, dribbling, close control, passing, vision, playmaking and dead-ball scenarios are Odegaard’s strong suits and this would be a welcome signing for Ajax if the deal is to go through. He has the 3rd highest key passes per game in the Eredivisie. Odegaard has 5 goals and 6 assists this season, out of which 4 assists have come from dead-ball situations. Ajax have reportedly made an enquiry with Real Madrid about the possible signing and the fee is believed to be around £20 million.

Ryan Gravenberch

After Frenkie De Jong, Ryan Gravenberch is the next biggest talent from Ajax’s academy. Not only has the youngster established himself in the starting XI of Ajax, he also broke the record of becoming the youngest player to play for the club in the Eredivise at the age of 16 years and 130 days, surpassing Clarence Seedorf.

Despite his age, the young Dutchman shows immense maturity in terms of technique, physique and decision making. Standing at 6 feet 1 inch, Gravenberch looks nothing like a kid as his strong, commanding figure gives him a significant advantage. Adding to this, he is extremely good on the ball, especially in terms of ball control, passing, dribbling and creativity.

When the Dutchman dribbles past players with his burst of pace and splits the defence with a through ball, one cannot help but notice a similarity with Paul Pogba. Akin to the midfield maestro in Manchester, Gravenberch possesses the X-Factor that could give Ajax the energy and directness to move into the final third from central midfield.

The only decision Ajax really need to make is about the timeline to integrate Gravenberch into the starting XI. He is still only going to be 17 in the summer. So if Erik Ten Haag can manage the development of this Dutch diamond in the right way, then it wouldn’t be long before Ajax receive yet another 90 million bid from one of the European giants.

Carel Eiting

If Ajax want to go for a conservative, economic and safe bet, then there isn’t any better option than Carel Eiting. Eiting is a Ajax youth product of Ajax and has developed to become a midfielder of the no-nonsense kind. His close control, vision and passing range are commendable and he is the kind of player any team that likes to dictate the pace of the game would want to have.

Despite his positives, regular injuries and fitness issues have hampered his growth. In the current season, Eiting was out of action for the whole of November with an ankle injury. The Dutchman is once again unavailable, thanks to a knee injury he suffered in January.

His best performance for the senior team was in the Champions League group game against AEK Athens, where he was deployed in a double-pivot alongside Lasse Schone. Eiting orchestrated things from the centre and dictated the pace of the game. He ended the match as the player with most number of touches (114) as well as the player with most passes completed (95). He also had 3 key passes and 3 ball recoveries to his tally, putting in a man-of-the-match performance on his Champions League debut with the senior side.

Although it was unfortunate that Eiting couldn’t convert his form into the next step in his football career owing to the injuries, the opportunity may have just arrived in the form of Frenkie De Jong’s departure to Barcelona. If the Dutchman could step up and put in similar displays at the beginning of the next campaign, then Ten Haag wouldn’t be looking outside of Ajax to get a new engine in the midfield.

Edited by Krishna Chandra