Kenneth Perez understands Brian Brobbey’s choice to exchange Ajax for RB Leipzig. On Thursday evening, transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano announced that the striker will leave for the number two in the Bundesliga transfer-free after this season; according to ESPN he is going to sign a four-year contract. The departure of Brobbey cannot be seen in isolation from the attraction of record purchase Sébastien Haller in January, Perez argues at the sports channel.
“It has actually made sense since Haller was brought in,” said the analyst of Brobbey’s wish to leave. “You have just taken the most expensive player in club history, you support that as a club. There is one position where Brobbey can play: the striker. And Dusan Tadic is there too. So it will mainly be raids for Brobbey. Then of course Leipzig is not a very unattractive choice. That club is known for fitting in youth and buying young players to progress. They have a kind of philosophy about the development of young players. “
Klaassen has warned departing Brobbey: ‘At Ajax you get more chances’
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Ajax announced at the beginning of February that Brobbey did not want to extend his expiring contract and was therefore faced with a transfer. Almost immediately, the name of Leipzig fell as a potential new employer, but Ajax kept trying behind the scenes to get Brobbey to sign up. The absence of Sébastien Haller in the Europa League offered the young striker new opportunities to show himself and he did so as a substitute with goals against Lille OSC and against Young Boys on Thursday evening. Dusan Tadic was Erik ten Hag’s first choice in the striker’s absence in Haller’s absence.
Leipzig uses different systems in the Bundesliga, including a 4-4-2 formation with Yussuf Poulsen and Alexander Sörloth in the front. On Wednesday-evening, Poulsen played in the point of a 5-4-1 line-up against Liverpool (2-0 defeat) and Sörloth entered the lines in the second half. “They play with two strikers and we saw one of them yesterday: Sörloth …”, Perez suggests that Brobbey can compete for a starting place. “He will earn more money at Leipzig and the chance of playing time is just as great as Ajax. Hadn’t made it to Haller, I would have had less understanding for it. Then your competitor would be Lassina Traoré and maybe Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, if he had stayed. But in this setting I actually understand. “
“I totally agree with Kenneth. It’s just a shame, because you like to see young, talented players in the Eredivisie”, adds Kees Kwakman. However, according to Perez, Ajax can scratch its head. “You managed it yourself by getting Haller. And that’s okay, because nobody knows how good Brobbey will be in two years. They’re taking it safe. But they’re in control.” Bee RTL7 Theo Janssen also draws a connection between the arrival of Haller and the departure of Brobbey. “Brobbey would play second fiddle behind Haller and have to wait until he gets chances. I don’t know about RB Leipzig, they will have good strikers too. But they play a bit differently.”
“Nineteen years, huh. He just has to play”, Jan Boskamp realizes. “Leipzig is competing for the title, so it’s not a bad team.” Janssen calls Brobbey’s choice ‘surprising, but not surprising either’. “It had been in the air for a while. It also has to do with the question of how quickly you can give such a young striker a chance. Is he there yet? Is he unstable? Ajax wants to perform in Europe, become champion. That is. difficult with a striker of nineteen years. Then you choose a striker who is a bit further, at the expense of Brobbey. “