Ajax push Man Utd target towards the exit

Willem Leijgraf

• Updated: 19 Feb 2024 18:32 GMT
• 3 min read

Ajax run the risk that Brian Brobbey will draw his conclusions after this season and leave Amsterdam, according to Dutch journalists Valentijn Driessen and Mike Verweij.

The poor performance of the Amsterdam team, which may yet see them miss out on European football, could push the 21-year-old striker to the exit of the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Brobbey is one of the few bright spots at Ajax with his scoring drive and has already appeared on the radar of various clubs.

Since the end of October, Brobbey has been involved in an Ajax goal in 13 of the 14 competitive matches via either a goal or assist. Only when they played away at SC Heerenveen and suffered a 3-2 loss was he not involved in any of the Ajax goals.

In total, Brobbey has recorded 18 goals and 6 assists so far this season. Despite the good numbers of the one-time Dutch international, Ajax continue to drop points and are in danger of merely heading for the play-offs for a Conference League ticket.

Ajax becoming unattractive

On De Telegraaf's podcast Kick-Off, presenter Hein Keijser asks whether Brobbey may be thinking about leaving because of the results and Ajax's play. “That is the risk that Ajax run,” says Mike Verweij. “If they end up in the play-offs, the club will become very unattractive for players to go to and then guys like Brobbey and Jorrel Hato, who will extend his contract, might say they will go.”

Valentijn Driessen responds to this and mentions EURO 2024, which will take place in Germany next summer. “You don't know what happens there,” says the newspaper's football chief. “Suppose he scores three or four goals for the Dutch team and becomes top scorer."

"Yes, then things can suddenly move very quickly. And everyone knows Brobbey's agent: José Fortes Rodriguez. That is someone who, if he sets his sights on a transfer, will go to any length.”

“That also happened to Myron Boadu [who moved from AS Monaco to FC Twente in January],” Verweij agrees. “And he also did it when Brobbey returned to Ajax. I therefore agree with Valentijn that if Ajax continue to perform like this, it will be very attractive for Brobbey, especially after a good EURO, to move to the Premier League.”

Verweij is then asked whether Brobbey is already being followed by clubs. “There is interest,” the journalist reveals. “You know that Manchester United, where [Erik] Ten Hag wanted to sign him before, are following him and what you hear is that the elite of the Premier League is keeping a close eye on him. I can imagine that because he has the stature for that competition.”