Source
r/AjaxAmsterdam•
LeftLeftRightRight

What would be your reaction if El Ghazi signed for Ajax? To me personally, it makes zero sense why we haven't yet.

Discussion

My reasoning:

  • They desperately wanted to add a Dutch player who is familiar with Ajax. This could also help Steijn in this whole project of trying to build a new collective. Not to mention El Ghazi himself could be a key figure in helping some of the new attackers settle.

  • The team right now is full of new players and different nationalities -> adding a player who would slot right in could really help for our results in the short term.

  • Right wing is a weak position atm.

  • El Ghazi isn't a terrible player. He got quite a few goals last season and has Premier League experience.

Do you agree or disagree? What would be your reasoning? I'm really curious because I'm quite baffled by the lack of interest from us.

Posted Sep 13, 2023, 8:12 AM UTC

155
Dom_Shady:35: Conceição•

Disagree. I would love to sign the talent El Ghazi once was, but now 1) he's not good enough for PSV plus 2) he would be on a big wage.

We need a right winger, but not El Ghazi. I want a player who is fast, technical and has a good cross and dribble.

1
nl_marvin•

“Fast, technical, good cross and dribble”. All the clubs want this player so he will cost you a fortune.

1
Dom_Shady:35: Conceição•

I'm afraid you're right. We can only get such a player from our academy or if we get him young and relatively unknown (so by necessity a bit of a gamble).

1
TiesG92:14: Cruijff•

Apart from that, transfer window is closed, can only sign players on a free. Unless you can convince Real Madrid to let Rodrygo go for free, no chance

1
AlmightySankentoII•

The player you described is literally El Ghazi. He is fast (not Theo Walcott fast but good pace) can cross a ball, doesn't cut inside unlike Bergwijn who can only cut inside, is an effective dribbler (not showboating) and can score.

Only problem is that he isn't an elite player but he can be effective squad player and he is free.

1
piemel83•

He was good enough for PSV, the problem is that he had issues with Bosz stemming from their time at Ajax. I would welcome him.

1
HufflepuffFluff•

It would make zero sense to me. El Ghazi is not the RW for Ajax, and I personally think he's not a winger at all. He's quick, but technically very poor and has no awareness for his teammates.

I feel like he would work better as a pressing forward or a striker in a 4-4-2 system, but we don't play that system nor do we need that type of player.

1
MrGraveyards:10: Bergkamp•

Yeah what I remember from him I mostly remember him scoring goals. Which was a good thing. But giving assists? Crosses?

I remember Andy vd Meijden crossing a lot but this guy nope. That's probably because he didn't.

Maybe you are right maybe he's not the player we need.

1
Sunstridr:LogoNieuw:•

I would disagree with you on this reasoning.

Steijn may have said that he wanted a Dutch player, but what he likely actually meant was a player that he knows (like Olij or Van Hecke), which El Ghazi isn't.

El Ghazi is another left winger who can play on the right, but by far his best period at Ajax was from the left.

While I agree that he isn't a terrible player, that shouldn't be the measuring line/tool for a player that plays for Ajax. That should be "is a young player with potential to be a great player" or "an outstanding player that contributes consistently and helps the team grow".

1
Renjoh:LogoOud:•

El Ghazi is another left winger who can play on the right but by far his best period at Ajax was from the left

He literally didn't even play 2 full games as a left winger for Ajax. If he seriously made that much of an impression in the 165 minutes he played as a left winger at Ajax I must have missed those games.

1
Sunstridr:LogoNieuw:•

First half of the 14/15 season, was his best period and that was him mostly as a left winger, even if Transfermarkt and the like say he was on the right for most of the time (even though Schone was the right winger at the time).

1
Invincible_wanker•

Nah Kishna was leftwing while Fischer was injured

1
Sunstridr:LogoNieuw:•

You mean the Kishna that only began to get regular starts in end November?

1
TheDutchTank•

I actually do think this makes sense. He's on a free, had quite good statistics for PSV and is quite effective. He's also great with penalties, has a great personality and, of course, a right-winger with the Ajax identity.

Sure, he wouldn't start every game, but he would be a good utility player.

1
Casual-Capybara:11: Forbs•

El Ghazi isn’t good enough and never will be, if you sign him you have a useless player on the books for years.

1
MrGraveyards:10: Bergkamp•

He doesn't have a club though. 1 year contract 1 million euros. Option for lengthening contract by four years and perhaps salary matched with mikautadze or some other similar player after that year.

Worst case we have a cheap benchwarmer we can easily get rid of. If he doesn't do it he doesn't have a club.

1
Casual-Capybara:11: Forbs•

I just don’t think he’s good, I doubt he would even be valuable in the locker room. Why waste 1 million euro? That’s assuming he would go for a one year contract

1
MrGraveyards:10: Bergkamp•

Because perhaps a right winger is better then no right winger?

1
Casual-Capybara:11: Forbs•

I think Berghuis, Bergwijn, Forbs and Mikautadze will all perform better on right wing than El Ghazi. The problem is Steijn, not the players. El Ghazi won’t change that

1
TiesG92:14: Cruijff•

Just until the season ends. Baat het niet dan schaadt het niet.

1
Casual-Capybara:11: Forbs•

You can say that about signing any player for one season, that’s not a way to make a policy

1
4mbush•

El Ghazi is a mercenary who, though a promising shot, never looked quite suited to Ajax' playstyle and hasn't worked with the current manager or even any of the players (right?), so I wholeheartedly disagree with your first point.

The only thing we can agree on is that he's not terrible. Probably.

1
Tempest_88•

Naaah.... What Ajax needs right now is a Tadic/Blind kind of player.....experienced and ready to raise the bar higher for the youngsters....

1
NodlBohsek•

Blind, really?

1
Sunstridr:LogoNieuw:•

Blind of 18/19 or 19/20 would be an easy starter right now, it's only after the heart incident on the pitch that he started to fall off really quickly.

1
Tempest_88•

Yes I was referring to the 28 years old blind/tadic...not to the 34+ years old....

1
Casperzwaart100:15: Rensch•

Ben je vergeten dat Blind echt een van onze belangrijskte verdedigers was voor 3 jaar?

1
NodlBohsek•

Jaap Stam ook. Maar helaas zijn ze vergaande glorie. Blind heeft de laatste seizoenen niks gepresteerd, bij NL vorige wedstrijd ook. Tadic idem trouwens.

1
MediocreExcitement39•

Snap je nou echt niet dat 'ie niet letterlijk Blind en Tadic wil, maar gewoon dat type aankoop? Begrijpend lezen is toch niet zo moeilijk?

1
robbievega•

I'm hoping Sutalo is that player

1
Copacetic_Corp•

Sosa should be a Blind type player according to Mislintat.

1
AboubakarKeita•

No I don't think so. You're thinking about a Babel-like scenario but El Ghazi has already spent a year in the eredivisie and couldn't crack it beyong being a squad player.

1
KingRo48•

Sigh…. Everyone is a FM these days…

1
MercifulMaximus308•

That would be going back to Martin Jol era with the likes of Mido and Atouba, signing old players for backup, when instead it should be academy players filling those spots. Which is the Ajax way.

1
piemel83•

I don’t agree, El Ghazi played pretty well at Ajax, Aston Villa and also at PSV. He had to leave because of problems with Bosz. It would be nice to have an Ajax player back at the club, especially because there’s no real right winger at the moment. He’s free. Mido was fat and Atouba… well. Different story. To me el Ghazi a no brainer.

1
zeeotter100nl:17: Blind•

It makes zero chance we would lmao. He's not good enough anymore :/

1
Sir_McAwesome•

I don't think it would be worth it. He's not good enough at the moment and his wages are astronomically high

1
zeekoes:14: Cruijff•

If it's just for the season and not a massive wage it's fine.

1
MeenaarDiemenZuid:39: Antony•

Clearly not in the playbook of Mislintat.. so yea,,

1
Nervous-Purchase-361:10: Litmanen•

Playing with a rechtsbuiten is for archaic, low-energy teams.

1
Mr-Stitch:LogoOud:•

As we need a right winger I would sign him for 1 season with option for 2 more, if he does well, thats great. If he doesnt, no hard feelings.

1
TapAdmirable5666•

I know we desperately need an extra right winger but please tell me we haven’t yet reached the point that we’re signing PSV rejects.

1
Carnesir85:34: Nouri•

I wouldn’t sign him. He is not good enough for Ajax imo. PSV didn’t let him go because he is so so good.

1
TiesG92:14: Cruijff•

Sign until the end of the season, pretty sure he’ll accept a lower wage for a reserve role. Besides, it’s not like 🏄‍♂️ will change the wage structure for him

1