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  • World Soccer

    The dark horses

    Oct 30, 2020 7 minutes

    AJAX

    Next crop of youngsters ripe and ready

    Much water has passed under the bridge since Ajax dazzled en route to the last four of the 2018-19 Champions League, stylishly seeing off Real Madrid and Juventus before throwing away their semi-final confrontation with Tottenham. Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and midfield strategist Frenkie de Jong exited stage left immediately, while two other members of their attacking-third “Dream Team”, Donny van de Beek and Hakim Ziyech departed this summer. However a new crop of talent is always waiting in the wings in Amsterdam, and in midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, centre-back Perr Schuurs and Burkino Faso striker Lassina Traore, they have a real next generation of quality ready to earn their stripes.

    Forever searching the globe for young talent, the Ajax management is justifiably excited about two of their latest signings. 20-year-old Brazilian right-winger Antony (ex-Sao Paulo) and precocious Ghanaian attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus – picked up from Danish side Nordsjaelland – are brimming over with potential and seem sure to figure prominently in the plans of first-team coach Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag has a score to settle in Europe. He

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