5 players in Holland that YOUR club should sign in the January transfer window
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The transfer window is about to open, and if they aren’t already, Premier League clubs will start scouring the world for top transfers and the best bargains within a matter of days.
Looking for value for money, the Premier League clubs would be wise to not just check out the top leagues, but some of Europe’s smaller competitions as well.
The Dutch Eredivisie, for example, has always been a great place to look for talent. What’s not to like about buying them cheap and moulding them into stars in one or two years?
Sure, it doesn’t always work out (ask Memphis Depay), but the hope of signing the next Wijnaldum or Suarez will surely convince plenty of Premier League clubs to at least have a look at what’s available across the North Sea.
Ahead of the January transfer window, here are five players from the Dutch Eredivisie your club should look to sign:
Rick Karsdorp (Feyenoord)
Position: Right-back
Age: 21
(Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos)
Finishing the calendar year top of the league, Feyenoord have been enjoying an excellent season so far. With an exciting mix of experience (think of Dirk Kuyt) and young talent, they look like genuine title contenders.
Of the best young talents the Rotterdam based outfit have is Rick Karsdorp. Enjoying his breakthrough season under the mentorship of Feyenoord manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the 21-year-old right back has already earned his first Netherlands call up.
It looks like Van Bronckhorst and Netherlands boss Danny Blind aren’t the only managers impressed with Karsdorp. After Feyenoord’s two Europa League games against Manchester United, Jose Mourinho was rumoured to be interested in recruiting Karsdorp as back-up for Antonio Valencia.
Quick, clever and solid in both attack and defense, Karsdorp has the potential to develop into a quality right-back. With his fee likely to rise in the coming years, now could be the time to buy.
Davy Klaassen (Ajax)
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 23
(Photo: GETTY)
Not too long ago, it seemed there were only two sorts of central midfielders: the attacking ones and the defensive types.
These days it’s different. In the modern game, central midfielders are often asked to move about as much as possible and help the team attack as well as defend.
Enter Davy Klaassen. Captain of Ajax at the age of 23, he’s been in enough midfield battles to know what the modern midfield game requires.
A product of the Ajax academy, Klaassen started his career as a true ‘number 10’, before enjoying a stint as a defensive midfielder under former Ajax manager Frank de Boer. This season, he’s been playing as one of the two more advanced centre mids in a 4-3-3 formation.
Any Premier League club looking for a Dutch player similar to Georginio Wijnaldum are advised to have a good look at the Ajax captain, who will probably be looking to take the next step in his career.
Davy Pröpper (PSV)
Position: Central Midfielder
Age: 25
(Photo: REUTERS)
After a thrilling final matchday reminiscent of Manchester City’s 2011-12 Premier League win, it was PSV Eindhoven who claimed the Eredivisie crown as their own last year.
Although by no means spectacular, PSV’s season had been very solid indeed, largely thanks to the performances of dependable players like Davy Pröpper, who was their rock in midfield throughout the year.
Usually partnering the more defensively minded Jorrit Hendrix and Mexican hard hitter Andres Guardado, Pröpper scored 12 times in 44 games and provided plenty of assists.
Pröpper might not be the shiniest and most glamorous player available this transfer window, but that doesn’t mean the hard working midfielder couldn’t be a great addition to most mid-table Premier League clubs.
Relatively young but still dependable and experienced, Pröpper provides more value for money than most talented but unproven youngsters.
Sébastian Haller (FC Utrecht)
Position: Striker
Age: 22
(Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos)
Every now and then, a striker will catch the eye of Europe’s big clubs after setting the Eredivisie alight with goals and assists. Sébastian Haller of mid-table team FC Utrecht could become such a striker.
This year, Haller has scored 7 league goals. Last year, he got to a total of 17, catching the interest of Ajax as they were looking for a replacement for Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik, who they had just sold to Italian side Napoli.
In the end, Ajax didn’t need Haller, who might now be eyeing a move abroad after using the Eredivisie as a stepping stone for bigger and better things.
Strong but clever, Haller is a target man and fox-in-the-box in one. He could be a great addition for mid-table Premier League sides looking for a unique type of striker to boost their attacking options.
Kasper Dolberg (Ajax)
Position: Striker
Age: 19
(Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos)
Ajax have always been famous for their strikers. Their academy produced forwards like Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert, while they managed to sign the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic when they were still young and cheap. How impressive is that?
It’s way too early to tell, but Kasper Dolberg could well become the latest addition to Ajax’s list of legendary forwards. Aged only 19, he has already become a certainty in Ajax’s first XI, scoring 8 goals in 16 games and earning himself his first Denmark call up in the process.
This is Dolberg’s first year in Ajax’s first team, and it would be way too early for him to move during the upcoming transfer window.
But with friend and foe alike stunned by Dolberg’s talents, the time to start scouting him is now.