Why Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona are all keen on Ajax star
The Eredivisie is a hotbed of young talent at present, with a number of up and coming aces making their mark in the Netherlands. One of those is Ajax star in the making Frenkie de Jong. Considering his tender years, many have tipped the midfielder to enjoy a bright career and his good form for Ajax this season has seen his stock soar.
Indeed, a number of Premier League teams, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, along with La Liga leaders Barcelona, have been courting the prodigious talent.
Packing plenty of potential in abundance, De Jong has the numbers to back up his ability, with his good form for Ajax yielding a WhoScored rating of 7.28. Of players to make 10 or more Eredivisie appearances this term, the Ajax youngster is top for passes per 90 (75.2) and pass success rate (91.9%) to reinforce one of three statistically calculated WhoScored strengths of ‘passing’.
De Jong, though, isn’t one to simply retain possession for the sake of it, with the youngster able to impressively create for others. 1.9 key passes per 90 is a return to be worked on, but seven assists is the third most in the Eredivisie this season. What’s more, De Jong is able to effortlessly drift past opponents, with 3.9 successful dribbles per 90 the third best of players to make 10 or more Eredivisie appearances this season.
Of the 105 players to attempt 15 or more dribbles in the top tier of Dutch football this term, De Jong’s success rate (93%) is the best in the league having completed 40 of 43 attempted dribbles. His style of play seems tailor made for the Premier League, particularly with the onus on central midfielders being able to carry possession through the middle of the pitch.
On top of that, 2.1 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per 90 are both commendable returns for De Jong, with the player able to successfully win the ball and recycle possession with ease – he operates with the same guile and confidence of a seasoned professional both on and off the ball.
Significant interest in his signature comes as little surprise, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and City all able to maximise his talent, while De Jong also seems the perfect fit for Barcelona. He may have penned a new deal last month, tying him down to the Amsterdam ArenA until 2022, but that is unlikely to dissuade potential suitors from trying their luck in securing the 20-year-old’s services sooner rather than later.
