Lisandro Magallán, Edson Álvarez and Perr Schuurs were bought by Ajax for a total amount of 26 million euros to fill the void that Matthijs de Ligt left with his departure for Juventus in the summer of 2019. None of the aforementioned purchases were successful. to grow into an impeccable basic player at the heart of the defense. Schuurs was well on his way this season, but was played from the team by Jurriën Timber, a talent from their own youth academy. In the end Ajax did not need millions to replace De Ligt, but only a little patience.
Ajax paid nine million euros to Boca Juniors for Magallán. The Argentinian defender went down in the books as one of the biggest bad buys in club history. He is rented out to Crotone, who is at the bottom of the Serie A. With a contract until 2023, Ajax and Magallán are still tied to each other for a while. Football affairs director Marc Overmars will have to work hard to limit the financial damage by receiving several million more for the man. Álvarez, taken over from Club América for fifteen million euros, turned out not to be a bad buy this season after all, because he found his niche in midfield, while Schuurs had long been trusted by Erik ten Hag. At times, the Limburger showed things that caused the hands to clasp in the stands. However, a slipper here and there, sometimes also at crucial moments, meant that he was not really convincing.
For a long time Ten Hag kept faith in Schuurs, this season for the first time a real basic player at Ajax. The 21-year-old defender also had a permanent place in the Champions League. In the first three group duels, Schuurs stood out in a negative way. For his first appearance this season against Liverpool (0-1 loss), he was through Football zone rated with a four, followed by a five against Atalanta (2-2) and a three against FC Midtjylland (1-2 win). “For Schuurs it was again a race to quickly forget. The center-back was surprised early on by Awer Mabil, but was able to avert the danger with a risky sliding. After that, Schuurs made anything but a solid impression. He could not be blamed for the goal against in the first half, but he lost almost all his duels (86 percent of that). In possession Schuurs was completely dramatic: fifteen times loss of the ball, more than anyone at that time, until Ten Hag put him out of his misery after an hour ”, was our analysis of his performance against Midtjylland.
Changing of the Guard
After three lousy performances in the Champions League, Schuurs showed in the home match against Midtjylland that he had it in him. The youth international was one of the best players in the 3-1 game. But one swallow does not make summer yet, Schuurs also knew. In the Eredivisie the basket remained a bit easier, although Ajax did not play against opponents of any size in the first half of the season. When Schuurs did not look good with the two goals against PSV on 10 January in the top match against PSV (2-2), Ten Hag thought it was time for a change. While the ink of Schuurs’ signature under a fresh contract had only just dried up until mid-2025, Ten Hag put him on the bench against FC Twente. “I was told the day before the match, but I had already noticed it a bit during training”, Schuurs said to the NOS about losing his starting place. “I went to the trainer and asked for an explanation. He had made a different choice. My task now is to show that I am also mentally strong, to eventually come back.”
Timber was also preferred to Schuurs in the top match that followed against Feyenoord. “I expect a very mobile left side at Feyenoord with perhaps a collapsing Haps. You can expect him to drop and come in at some point. Timber is a little better at covering. He looks a bit shorter to the ground“, explained the trainer for De Klassieker ESPN. The maneuverability of Timber, among other things, was decisive for Ten Hag. The lesser form of Schuurs also played a role. “I have seen that too,” replied Schuurs. “It is a choice of the trainer. I don’t have to hang my head, train hard and show that I want and have to play. Of course it is difficult, you hope you just play, but so far I played everything. The trainer also explained that: you’ve played a lot, I want to create a fit player. I don’t want to be disappointed now, stay positive. I hope I can play again on Sunday. “The latter did not happen. Timber seized his chance and Schuurs ended up on the second plan.
Timber played himself silently in the team. The nineteen-year-old talent hardly made any mistakes and is comfortable on the ball. He was thrown to the lions in a month in which the top matches followed quickly for Ajax. Timber held up nicely. Where Schuurs alternated a good match with a lesser one, he achieved a constant level and compliments flew to his ears. Erwin van de Looi included Timber in the European Championship selection of the Juniors. It was the ultimate reward for some impressive months. However, due to a corona infection, the Ajax talent had to pass the group stage of the tournament. Schuurs was there at the European Championship and played all matches from the base. From Hungary he watched talking to it Algemeen Dagblad to his situation at Ajax. “I am looking at it positively: I am now working even more on my development points. And yes, sometimes you want to go faster. But sometimes it takes months or even years to reach your peak in something, ”said Schuurs. “Of course I am not happy when it happens, but it does help me further. Viewing images with the trainer helps with this. If it happens again, I will make different choices. ”
Talent of the month April
Due to injuries and suspensions, Schuurs had a lot of playing time at Ajax after the youth European Championship. However, the battle for the spot in the back next to Lisandro Martínez has been won by Timber, who was named talent of the month in April. The former youth player of Feyenoord received the prize with due pride. Reporter Milan van Dongen said that he had won the prize partly on the basis that he had the most successful dribbles of all players from the Eredivisie. “Serious?! That is quite clever ”, Timber responded with surprise at his own performance. “I like to dribble and that is also allowed at Ajax. That is also somewhat expected of you. It is also part of my game. ” Due to his stormy development, Timber has even been associated with the Dutch national team. “The great the Dutch remains a dream, of course”, he responded when asked. He looks forward to a possible invitation to the European Championship from national coach Frank de Boer. “I think it is very nice if you can be there, even if you sit on the couch and you don’t play the whole tournament.”
Although Timber Schuurs is now over in the pecking order, it doesn’t mean the latter should despair. Looking at the statistics, the two competitors hardly differ. In most cases, the figures even speak slightly in favor of Schuurs. Where Timber is often praised for his footballing ability, it is precisely the Limburger who has more ball contacts and a higher passing accuracy per ninety minutes. It is striking that Timber wins more duels than Schuurs (56.5% against 48.7%) and also appears stronger in aerial duels (48.1% won aerial duels against 44.4%). The latest statistic is so striking because Timber is only 1.79 meters long and Schuurs 1.91 meters. Timber’s length seems to be both its advantage and disadvantage. After all, Ten Hag chose him because of his maneuverability, which would have been less if Timber had the height of Schuurs. Although he proves otherwise this season, critics say he is too small for a role as a center-back.
The Opta figures of Timber and Schuurs side by side. These are statistics from this season in all competitions per ninety minutes.
Timber as Cannavaro
Kenneth Perez is impressed by Timber’s qualities, but finds his height a problem. “We’ve had this discussion a few times already. People always turn up with Fabio Cannavaro. But Cannavaro was world top ”, he added last month ESPN about the former defender, who played at Juventus and Real Madrid with his 1.75 meters and won the Ballon d’Or in 2006. “It’s a drawback. Ready. There is no other way. ” Ronald de Boer knows Timber from Ajax’s youth and emphasized that the Ajax player would have liked to have been ‘six, seven or eight centimeters’ taller. The former player of Ajax and Barcelona, among others, thinks Timber should be picky at any next club. “He should not play for a team that will be in the box. He is doing very well as a right back, he can do that too. But as a center-back he has to play for an attacking team, such as Ajax. Then you have room in the back. He can play that very well, because he is fast and capable of handling the ball. ” Perez insisted Timber’s height is a disadvantage. “If you look at all the central defenders in the world; in all top teams no one is below 1.85 meters. That could be a problem for the top. ”
Despite his lack of height, Fabio Cannavaro (right in photo) was one of the best defenders in the world for years.
De Boer praised Timber for his footballing qualities: “He is so calm and comfortable on the ball. He dares to dribble and in my eyes he is incredibly duel strong, I saw that in my youth. He is a checkered guest, stands firmly on his feet. ” Timber was informed by reporter Milan van Dongen about the words of Perez and De Boer at the presentation of the prize for talent of the month in April. “I’ve always heard that I was too small: You are too small for the central rear and will later become a right back. But so far it is still going well and I am confident. I try to show that it can be done like this ”, responded Timber, who finds it difficult to indicate in which position he has the best chance of a bright future. “My favorite position is in the center of the back. That is where I get the best out of it. But it’s nice that I can also play as a right back. I think that’s an advantage. In Europe I could also just go in the center at the back. ”
For many, the intransigence of Álvarez and Martínez has been decisive this season in winning the TOTO KNVB Cup and 35th national title. Others cite the development of Ryan Gravenberch, the unprecedented statistics of Dusan Tadic, the leading role of Davy Klaassen or the recruitment of Sébastien Haller. The silent way in which Timber Schuurs has played from the base and as a nineteen-year-old has more than held his own in the Netherlands and Europe, may have been just as important to winning the double. For now, the cards have been shuffled in Timber’s favor. For Schuurs a tough job to fight himself back into the Ajax base.