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Davy Klaassen’s Everton failure used as warning for Ajax star Donny van de Beek
Former Chelsea and Wigan Athletic defender Mario Melchiot has used the example of Davy Klaassen at Everton as a warning to Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek.
This summer saw the Ajax dream team plundered after their excellent run to last season’s Champions League semi-finals. Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt both left the club, joining Barcelona and Juventus respectively, after tremendous seasons in Amsterdam.
Van de Beek was expected to follow. Plenty of teams were credited with an interest in the player. Everton were one of them,
He was also linked with big-money moves to the likes of PSG and Real Madrid. Indeed, was found between the player and Madrid, with a potential €70 million (£63m) fee being mentioned.
But the 22-year-old stayed at Ajax and that he should consider Klaassen’s Everton career as a warning.
“I like Van de Beek’s character and the way he plays. I just hope his first move is one to play. If not, then they had a player like Klaassen who did really well at Ajax but came to Everton and he couldn’t perform so he ended up on the bench because he couldn’t adjust to the English game.
“Sometimes in Holland they underestimate what some of us did to survive playing over there for 10 years. If he goes to Real Madrid one day, I am not saying he is not good enough, but if he isn’t given assurances that he will play, or get a fair chance, then he shouldn’t go.”
, Everton paid £24 million for the player in 2017 but sold him for just £12 million to Werder Bremen one year later.
He struggled to adapt to the pace of English football and never looked capable of making it at Goodison Park.
It would seem harsh on Van de Beek to lump him in with Klaassen, but it does highlight just how highly rated the former Ajax captain was before his ill-fated Merseyside switch.
Van de Beek will hopefully not flop wherever his next move may be. Everton fans will hope their tentative interest reignites in a year’s time. If so, he can make up for Klaassen’s failings at Goodison.