Ibrahim Afellay can understand Brian Brobbey’s decision to leave Ajax for RB Leipzig. The former midfielder said in the program Studio Football of the NOS however, that he had previously chosen to sign a long-term contract with Ajax, and then be let to FC Utrecht for two years. “There are plenty of examples of boys who went abroad at that age and who did not end well,” said Afellay.
“It depends on how you look at it,” Afellay began when Brobbey’s situation came up. The nineteen-year-old striker signs a four-year contract with RB Leipzig, with an annual salary of reportedly three million euros. Ajax offered him a million euros, an amount that could rise to one and a half million euros. “That boy can also have a point of view: maybe I will break my leg tomorrow and now I secure my future for me and my family. If you are presented with such a contract, just stand on it and then say ‘no’. On the other hand, Haller has recently been hired for a number of years and I think it’s great how Brobbey has held his own in recent times, with all the troubles that have been going on around him. If he was called upon, he still delivered in goals and assists. ”
Presenter Sjoerd van Ramshorst asked what Afellay himself had chosen. “I think that in his situation I would have chosen to sign a long-term contract with Ajax and then let myself rent out to FC Utrecht for two years, to spend flying hours there to develop myself. If you do not decide to compete, ”the former international replies. Fellow analyst Theo Janssen spoke of a ‘difficult situation’ for Brobbey.
“If you buy Haller for 22.5 million, you know as a striker behind it that you are not going to play much. They have put on one that costs so much money, so you just sit on the bench ”, Janssen concluded. “Nobody expected it to go so quickly with him, because six months ago we were not talking about Brobbey. I saw him myself a year ago in the Under-19 and I saw a good striker there, but there was still quite a lot missing. Now you can see that he picks it up quite quickly: he holds balls better, bounces better. ”
What can Brian Brobbey expect at RB Leipzig and what will Ajax do now?
Football Zone outlined Brian Brobbey’s situation at RB Leipzig.
“I think he will play there. Ibi just said that a lot of guys abroad fail. But we also bring boys here from all kinds of countries and there are a lot of them who are doing well. Brobbey is 19, but has the body of a 25-year-old. That means he can go straight into the field ”, Pierre van Hooijdonk commented. “How about those defenders in Germany?” Afellay responded. “They are also quite strong physically. Look, take Patrick van Aanholt and Jeffrey Bruma. They also went abroad at a very young age and at one point have also developed through rental periods. ”