Jordi Cruijff, Ajax’s technical director, has once again expressed his confidence in striker Marcos Leonardo, despite the 23-year-old Brazilian failing to live up to expectations. Leonardo, for whom Ajax paid 20 million euros last summer, remains behind Nigerian forward Tolu Arokodare in manager Míchel Sánchez’s squad; Arokodare scored ten goals in fifteen matches. Leonardo has scored only two so far.
Cruyff emphasized in a Ziggo Sport broadcast that it is “a matter of time” before Leonardo develops. “He needs to take steps and break free. He needs to get used to football in the Netherlands, where a lot of one-on-one play takes place,” said the technical director, referring to Leonardo’s statistics. “He has played more than 280 official matches by the age of 23. That is remarkable. And he has scored over 115 goals in his career.” Cruyff stressed that Leonardo “is not a player you provide crosses to every time” and that he needs players who understand his playing style.
Contrast with Tolu Arokodare
Tolu Arokodare, on loan with an option to buy, has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at Ajax. The Nigerian, who scored ten goals in fifteen matches, is being given “the right mentality and team spirit,” according to Cruijff. The technical director admitted that Leonardo “has not yet shown the best of himself,” but emphasized that the Brazilian “still needs time to adapt to the physical level of Dutch football.”
Long-term confidence
Until then, Cruijff continues to believe that Ajax’s 20-million-euro signing will still pay off.