Netherlands’ surprise third-place finish in the World Cup has meant that plenty of players who did well for the Oranje are looking at a move away from home. One of the players who shone for the Dutch in Brazil was Ajax’s 24-year-old defender Daley Blind. The reigning Dutch player of the year came into the World Cup on the back of a sublime season for Ajax in which he helped his side to their fourth-straight Eredivise title. After a brilliant showing in Brazil, Blind is wanted by both Barcelona and Manchester United and the duo are set to battle it out to secure the signature of this £17m rated defender. So why are the top clubs suddenly clamouring for his signature? Is he what either Manchester United or Barcelona need?
Career history
Even before Daley Blind kicked a ball in anger, he was already a household name in Amsterdam. And that was thanks in no small part to his father, Danny who played for Ajax and was a regular in the Dutch national side. In 1990, Daley was born in Amsterdam and before long he joined Ajax’s youth academy and started to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Blind signed his first professional contract with Ajax, aged 17 and made his first appearance for the club the following year, against FC Volendam. Barring a brief spell in Groningen towards the end of the 2009/10 season, Blind has been in Ajax all his life. Although he made his first appearance in 2008, it wasn’t until the 2010/11 season that he started to be a regular in the first-team squad.
It was only in the 2012/13 season that he nailed down a first-team spot as he became coach Frank de Boer’s first-choice left back. Since then, his career has only gone onward and upward as he has gone from making his international debut in 2013, to being the side’s first choice left-back in 2014 World Cup as the Dutch finished third.
Style of Play
Although Blind started his career as a left back, he has since gone onto feature as a defensive midfielder and as an emergency centre back with great success. Born and raised in Ajax’s youth academy, Blind’s technical ability is beyond question, but the ease with which he seems to not just start attacks but also stop them is something that most sides would want in their full back. Standing at 5’11, the full back is no slouch in the air. Although he is brilliant going forward, his ability to sniff out danger at the back means that he is much a complete package. Still only 24, Blind has a big career ahead of him and if he continues to improve at the current rate, he would surely go onto become of the mainstay of both his club and country for years to come.
Strengths
While Blind’s metronomic passing and footballing IQ is helping him make a name for himself, there is no doubt that his versatility is his biggest strength. While there are plenty of marauding full backs right now, there are few who have the tactical nous and the defensive discipline to play as a defensive midfielder. Blind certainly has that and his incredible ability to recycle possession at will and keep the opposing playmaker in check, makes him one of those rare players who are very good in not one, but two very different and distinct positions.
One of the reasons why he is very capable of playing as the “Number 6” is his ability to hold onto the ball and make effective use of it. Whether it is making the simple sideward pass or a more probing through ball, Blind has certainly shown that he can do both with equal ease. While his quality on the ball is beyond question, what makes him an even better player is his ability off the ball. His energy and his discipline means that he is one of the first players to start pressing and win the ball back, which has led to some calling him the “Dutch Lahm”, a comparison that isn’t out of place at all.
Weaknesses
To find a flaw in Blind’s play is more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. For someone to be capable of holding his own in distinct positions requires a whole host of characteristics which Blind seems to have in abundance. But if there is one thing that the Dutchman can work on, it is his crossing. Although he did supply the cross for Robin Van Persie’s brilliant header against Spain, Blind has been far from consistent with his crossing, which has let both him and the team down once in a while.
Possible destinations
Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United are reportedly keen on his signature, but the fact that he was seen in Barcelona a few days means that the Red Devils will have a tough battle on their hands to bring this versatile Ajax man to Old Trafford. Both Barcelona and United are looking to lure Ajax’s prized possession away from Amsterdam in a bid to improve their squad.
Verdict
At just 24, Blind is looking like a solid proposition for any side who are looking for a versatile defender who can elevate the team’s ability to hold onto the ball. Manchester United are in dire need of a defensive enforcer in midfield and the injury to Carrick only deepens the central midfield woes. The signing of Blind would not only address that but also provide Shaw with some stiff competition at left back. If his former coach Van Gaal can out-bid Barcelona and lure him away from Ajax, then it would certainly be a great move for the club, who are a couple of signings away from competing for not just a top four spot, but the title as well.