Dest and Kluivert a warning to Ajax stars: Don't leave too soon!
Karan Tejwani
- 4 Aug 2022 14:15 BST
- 4 min read
Justin Kluivert is struggling to make an impression at Roma and could be set for a move to Fulham in the near future, with the newly-promoted Premier League side eager to complete a move.
The proposed transfer is another addition to Kluivert’s story, as he went from a bright Ajax prospect to being discarded by Roma in the space of a few years.
The Dutch winger has spent time away on loan at RB Leipzig and Nice, and he’s had some good moments, but not enough to earn a move to a top club or earn an opportunity at Roma.
It follows a trend that’s been noticed in recent years: leaving Ajax too soon can affect players, and it has been evident with several examples in the past few seasons.
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When Kluivert was at Ajax, he was regarded as a bright star coming through and even showed his talents with the first team between 2016 and 2018.
At the end of the Europa League final in 2017, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was keen on his progress, saying he’d bring him to Old Trafford if he continues in this vein.
However, it’s the same Mourinho that’s now willing to let him go, as his development at the Olimpico has stalled, and he’s on the search for another club.
In 2018, when he was still at Ajax, Kluivert was one of many stars that were sat down by the Amsterdam club as they explained their vision to the players.
The others were Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Andre Onana and more, and they all remained for a wonderful 2018-19 season, while Kluivert was on the fringes at Roma.
Justin Kluivert scores a good goal.pic.twitter.com/XZDjyS4vzG
— Scouted Football (@scoutedftbl) April 5, 2019
Soon after, another player made his move from Ajax too soon, halting years of development, and struggling to make a mark elsewhere: that’s Sergino Dest, who left for Barcelona.
Dest was competing with Noussair Mazraoui and had a good 2019-20 season, but that was his only campaign in Amsterdam with the senior side, as Bayern Munich and Barcelona showed interest.
He ended up moving to the Camp Nou, but hasn’t made much of an impact, with the likes of Sergi Roberto and Ronald Araujo often playing in his place.
The club are now open to letting the player go, and there is interest from others such as Manchester United, but while a move this year looks unlikely, he may not play as much in his remaining time at Barcelona.
Brian Brobbey is another example, as he left the club on a free transfer last year, joining RB Leipzig, where he hardly played in the first half of the 2021-22 season.
Brobbey was playing under manager Jesse Marsch, who rarely used him, and when the American was replaced by Domenico Tedesco, the forward saw even fewer opportunities.
The Dutchman returned to Ajax on loan in the winter of 2022, and has recently made his move permanent, proving that leaving wasn’t the best decision for him.
It says a lot that players that leave before their intended development is complete at Ajax that they struggle away from there, and it should serve as a lesson to Ajax’s current group that they should stay on for a little longer.
Read more about: La Liga, Serie A, Eredivisie, Ajax, Barcelona, Brian Brobbey, Justin Kluivert, Sergino Dest
