Promes the creator and battling Alvarez – Ajax´s new look for 2019-20

Ajax thrilled Europe last season with their exciting brand of attacking football and almost delivered an incredible treble.

Erik ten Hag’s side won the Eredivisie and the KNVB Beker while beating Real Madrid and Juventus en route to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were seconds away from seeing off Tottenham, too.

However, as expected, Ajax have seen their most impressive performers depart in the aftermath of a sensational campaign. Frenkie de Jong linked up with Barcelona as Juve signed Matthijs de Ligt.

It appears unlikely Ajax will be able to reach the same heights again in the coming season, but they have been able to spend in the transfer market after raking in more than €150million in fees for their young talents.

Reinforcements have arrived and, with the help of Opta, we put the new-look Dutch champions under the microscope. 

Razvan Marin

It looks as though Ajax have found their De Jong replacement in the form of Romania midfielder Marin. Some smart forward-thinking saw a deal done for the 23-year-old to arrive from Standard Liege in April, with De Jong’s switch to Barca also agreed in advance.

Marin completed 732 successful passes in the opposition half last season, the fourth most among all Belgian Pro League players.

Quincy Promes

As well as De Ligt and De Jong played last season, moves for experienced campaigners Daley Blind and Dusan Tadic were also seen as key. Ajax have gone back to the well to sign established Netherlands winger Promes from Sevilla for €15.7m.

Promes did not initially hit the ground running in LaLiga but ended the season having created 1.6 chances per 90 minutes, a tally only bettered by Pablo Sarabia among those to play 1000 minutes or more.

19 – In his last season in the Eredivisie, only Dusan Tadic (16 goals & 14 assists) was directly involved in more goals for FC Twente than Quincy Promes (11 goals & 8 assists). Reunion.

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 24, 2019

Lisandro Martinez

Ajax have made a number of moves in order to plug the sizeable gap left by De Ligt in the heart of their defence and one of those saw Martinez arrive from Defensa y Justicia.

Only one player completed more passes than the one-cap Argentina international (1285) in the 2018-19 Argentine Superliga.

Edson Alvarez

Another defender on board for the new season is the versatile Alvarez, who left Club America and already has 28 caps for Mexico at the tender age of 21. He appears in line for a starting role given the €15m outlay just days after De Ligt’s departure.

Alvarez should certainly provide some bite, having won 105 individual duels in the 2019 Liga MX Clausura, the second most in the competition.

See you soon!

Welcome Álvarez with !#VamosEdson pic.twitter.com/WTHSUqUyTv

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 19, 2019

Kik Pierie

Pierie will also compete for minutes, though, after the youngster left Heerenveen. Ajax will hope he can be half as successful as De Jong, another who joined from an Eredivisie rival as a teenager.

The American-born Pierie, 19, played 62 times in the top flight for Heerenveen. Only Arnold Bruggink (18 years and 299 days) has made as many appearances for the club at a younger age.