Dutch hero Marco van Basten has namedropped Everton as a reason for Ajax’s current rising generation of talent to think twice before making big-money moves abroad.
Many Everton fans will be all-too familiar with Davy Klaasen’s spell at the club that ultimately ended in disappointment for all concerned.
Having shone brightly at all levels in the Dutch capital, he struggled to hit double figures in terms of goals at Everton following a €25m move.
There is also Everton-linked Donny van de Beek, who has found himself on the periphery at Manchester United following a high-profile transfer to the north-west giants in 2020.
Consequentially, van Basten feels Everton offer one cautionary tale as to why the products of Ajax’s talent factory should not jump the gun with big moves:
“He (Klaassen) shows it, goes to Everton and lost it,” he told Ziggo Sport, relayed by Ajax Showtime.
“Then he goes to Werder Bremen, comes back to Ajax and is back in the Dutch national team. The players at Ajax don’t realise how good they can play football at Ajax. It’s a different story abroad.
“You can also see it in Van de Beek. He’s done very well at Ajax for a couple of years, then he leaves for Manchester United and finds himself on the bench.
“Ziyech is also a problem, and De Ligt didn’t play yesterday.
“You look at the team, which is very good, but individually you go abroad. Those are different leagues. If those guys go abroad, they will end up like Ziyech and De Ligt and like Klaassen has had.”
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No two players’ development pathways are identical, but there is a shred of truth to van Basten’s claims.
The icon already lists several good examples of players transitioning from Dutch stardom to a major European league, only to endure moments of difficulty.
The step up is not always so simple, and Klaasen’s stint at Everton is as good a tale as any.
