Dutch Voetball / Football Blog
Argentinian defender Nicolas Tagliafico said that there isn’t any guarantee that he will be joining Barcelona in this summer window but he isn’t certain of staying in Ajax either. He has been part of the Dutch club Ajax from 2018 and within the few months, he has proved his worth which helped him join the first team of the club.
The agent of Donny van de Beek has said that the midfielder has plenty of offers on the table and he has yet to decide on any destination. The Netherlands international looked on course to join Real Madrid last summer but he opted to make a surprise U-turn to remain with the Dutch champions for the rest of the campaign.
ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop has urged Chelsea to make the move for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale when the transfer window reopens in a few months’ time. The 21-year-old made his debut for Bournemouth at the beginning of the current campaign and he has since been one of their standout performers in what has been a different season.
Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech has revealed that he was in contact with Chelsea manager Frank Lampard before the Blues reached an agreement to sign him from Ajax. The 26-year-old was purchased from the Dutch champions for an initial £33m fee and he will be formally presented by the club when the season concludes.
Lille forward Victor Osimhen has acknowledged that his team were not good enough to beat Ajax in the recent Champions League group stage clash. The French outfit had the opportunity to register their maiden win of the European campaign but that was clearly not the case with the Dutch champions running out 2-0 victors.
Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong has revealed that he joined Barcelona ahead of the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain after they made the initial approach to his representative. The Dutchman was hugely touted to leave Ajax during the summer of 2018 and a deal was eventually finalised at the turn of the year with Barcelona reaching an agreement to sign him at the end of the campaign.
Life is all about results. It may not make sense to the nerds who think their brain is smarter than the planet which has undergone different trials and tribulations for millions of years yet survived.
That’s why Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp is as opposite as can be when it comes to personality yet both look like twin achievers.
Many ex-players coached under Guardiola have been asked if he was a “good guy” and from Eto’o to Ibrahimovic to Thierry Henry, all settled with “good coach”. In fact, Ibrahimovic was less forgiving. He called him a “coward”. All this tension whether Guardiola is the kind of guy you would love to hang out with on a Saturday night and yet he remains the greatest coach of his generation.
Jurgen Klopp is the opposite character. He likes hugs. Talks loudly and looks like the kind of dude that always want to have beer with you on a Saturday night. Yet his results on the pitch is not that bad when it comes to Pep. They are both currently coaching in the same league and the German has won back to back Coach of the Month award since the start of the new season.
Leaves one with the question as to how they motivate their teams to almost play the same tireless high pressing game of theirs. But that’s kind of the point. It doesn’t matter how they do it as long as the result keep coming and fans and club owners are happy.
Normally when a concave and convex mirror give you the same image, you freak the hell out and wonder if you are crazy to the point of seeing hallucinations or your high school science teacher did screw you up for fun.
Pep and Jurgen couldn’t care less though. They are having the best time of their lives and writing their own histories. Future generations won’t care too to know who was the concave or convex. They will take a look at their achievements, nod and move on. The universe has spent thousands of years teaching every generation that results are all that matters. It’s nothing to be any different in the future.
Cameroon international Andre Onana has said that he is content at Ajax amid the speculated interest from Manchester United. The 23-year-old has been with the Ajax first-team for the past three seasons and the previous campaign saw the best of him with the Dutch giants celebrating a domestic double as well as reaching the Champions League semi-final.
Belgium international Toby Alderweireld has suggested that he remains committed to the north London side despite the continuous speculation regarding his future.
The centre-back is set to be reunited with Ajax when Spurs entertain them in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final but the defender has stressed that there won’t be any emotions during the tie.
He said: “I can make very popular statements, but I don’t know what’s coming my way. I do not say ‘no’ in advance for the future. But I am now fully focused on Tottenham and after that I also have a contract for one season. We will mainly have to play our own game. But at times when we are under pressure, we have to defend well and there may be moments to break out. But we can also put pressure, actually all the ways of playing football.”
Ajax have reached the final four of the Champions League after getting the better of Juventus and Real Madrid over the past two rounds, but Spurs have likewise proved their mettle after ousting Manchester City, who were regarded as the favourites to secure the European crown.
As such, an even contest can be anticipated between the teams and it remains to be seen whether the fitness could have any impact on the game.
Spurs had a tough derby against West Ham United on Saturday where Ajax had the weekend off and that has already been stated by manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has been far from pleased with the help from FA. Meanwhile, Alderweireld’s future remains a talking point with his contract expiring at the end of next season, and so far, he has been reluctant to pen terms at the north London side.
This has spread suggestions that he could be sold during the summer transfer window and Ajax could make an approach for their former graduate.
Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars has previously indicated that the club are hopeful of luring both Alderweireld and teammate Jan Vertonghen back to Amsterdam in the future.
Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong has admitted that he could have joined Tottenham Hotspur during last summer’s transfer window.
The Netherlands international is widely regarded as one of the best midfield prospects in the Eredivisie and he recently made the headlines after reaching a transfer agreement to join Barcelona in the summer.
In a report covered by Goal.com, De Jong acknowledged that he could have made the switch to the north London side last year but he decided to remain committed to Ajax for at least another season, he said: “I considered their [Tottenham] offer long and hard. I see Tottenham as a very stable club, and they are only getting better. They give young players a chance and I see Mauricio Pochettino as a manager who really improves young players. I like the kind of football they are playing. I think it would have suited my game. The moment wasn’t right. I wasn’t finished at Ajax, as I hadn’t yet played a full season in my own position.”
De Jong’s decision to stay put with Ajax no doubt triggered interest from other elite European clubs, but the midfielder eventually decided to join Barcelona after a private phone discussion with Lionel Messi.
The Catalan giants have remain secure in the centre of the park with multiple options this term but they are nonetheless looking into the future with De Jong capable of staying put for more than a decade, should he remain grounded.
Elsewhere, the potential arrival of De Jong has triggered concerns over the future of Ivan Rakitic. In a recent interview, the Dutchman said that he has been assured of a regular starting role with the switch to the Camp Nou and reports suggest that could directly hamper Rakitic’s position. The Croatia international has been linked with Juventus and Manchester United in the past.