Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 6:55 AM• Last update: 06:58

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Zakaria Labyad are according to it Algemeen Dagblad possibly working on their last months in the service of Ajax. The newspaper has included the two in a list of five Ajax players who can be seen as the losers of 2021. Perr Schuurs, Sean Klaiber and André Onana are also on the list. Edson Álvarez, Lisandro Martínez, Jurriën Timber, Devyne Rensch and Maarten Stekelenburg, on the other hand, are seen by the newspaper as the winners of the first two months of the current year.

Ekkelenkamp got the chance from Erik ten Hag a number of times earlier this season, but this calendar year has to settle for a permanent place on the bench. Davy Klaassen plays in his position and now that Mohammed Kudus is also fit again, the role of the youth international seems to be shrinking in the main force. “Given the fierce competition in a strong team, the question is whether Ekkelenkamp will still withdraw from his reserve role. The summer beckons abroad, ”the newspaper writes. Last summer FC Twente wanted to hire Ekkelenkamp, ​​but Ajax did not cooperate with that at the time.

Labyad made an excellent impression in the preparation for this season. Ten Hag regularly gave him the opportunity, both in the Eredivisie and in the Champions League. By attracting Sébastien Haller and the return of Kudus, Labyad is less featured. “Labyad notices, with only eighteen minutes of play in the last five matches. Given that his commitment runs until mid-2022, this spring seems like a logical moment for both parties to sell Labyad to a foreign club, ”the newspaper said.

The other losers of 2021 at Ajax are, according to the newspaper Perr Schuurs, Sean Klaiber and André Onana. Schuurs lost his starting place to Timber, while Klaiber has descended in the pecking order. Ten Hag has opted for Noussair Mazraoui, Rensch and Timber for the right back position in recent weeks. “He was persuaded by his former trainer to act as a stand-in in the ‘den of the lion’. Less than five months later Klaiber finds himself back at Ajax as fourth right back ”, it sounds. After the winter break, Klaiber came into action less than a minute. “If Ten Hag continues to fall back on Rensch and Timber in the absence of Mazraoui, Klaiber will know enough.”

Before the winter break, Álvarez barely featured in the Ten Hag team. He was explicitly linked to a departure in January, but was held back despite interest from Valencia. He seems to have conquered his place in Ajax’s midfield. Timber has also played in the base. “Relatively small in stature, but Timber also distinguishes itself in (air) duels and looks comfortable on the ball. Provided he is fit, Timber has secured his spot for the European Championship. With Jong Oranje then. The staff of the Dutch national team saw the most logical new number 4 of Ajax hold up flawlessly in top duels. Martínez is also highlighted in a positive way: “Ten Hag can hardly ignore Martínez. Just in time, it seems, because the Argentinian warrior increasingly doubted his perspective in Amsterdam. ”