Friday, July 29, 2022 at 09:18• Last update: 10:04

Valentijn Driessen has so far not been impressed by the purchasing policy of the Dutch top clubs. In his column in The Telegraph he puts the acquisitions along the proverbial yardstick to come to the conclusion that almost everyone has failed. For example, Ajax has a striker with Brian Brobbey who is ‘destined to substitute’, Walter Benítez at PSV has ‘already scored seven goals in four practice matches’ and Feyenoord missed an opportunity last year with Quinten Timber.

Driessen calls the recall of Steven Bergwijn and Brian Brobbey ‘a policy mockery’. “Two players that Ajax has had in its own training and who walked out for free,” said the football chief. Brobbey refused to extend his contract and, as a transfer-free player, opted for a big signing premium at RB Leipzig and gave Ajax a middle finger. Where do you stay as a club with self-esteem if you bring someone back like that? The scouting and technical staff at Ajax saw no better alternative for “16.35 million euros. That says a lot about the level of the scouting and the staff. It is a striker who is destined to substitute.”

They also missed the mark at PSV. The people of Eindhoven were active on the transfer market early on, but have not yet been able to convince Driessen. “How can the new director Marcel Brands, errand boy John de Jong and debutant Ruud van Nistelrooij think that Simons and Hoever can make a difference?”, the columnist wonders aloud. “Young players without much experience at the highest level. Goalkeeper Benítez seems to be a giant, but the 29-year-old Argentinian was transfer-free, not an international and coming from Nice. In four serious exhibition games, he has already scored seven goals.”

Feyenoord, on the other hand, has two ‘dark horses‘ attracted, but Timber’s transfer can count on a critical note. “Quinten Timber is a top purchase from Feyenoord, but technical director Frank Arnesen was able to pick him up for free from Ajax last summer. Now the transfer fee of 8.5 million euros is a rib out of Rotterdam’s body.” Driessen is also not warm to Oussama Idrissi and Danilo. “Making Ajax nervous with the attackers Danilo and Idrissi – both failed at Ajax – is laughable.”