Davy Klaassen swapped the Eredivisie for the Premier League this summer but Everton are still waiting to see the best from him.
Perhaps that old Eredivisie curse does not merely apply to strikers. As we all know, the Dutch top flight is hardly the most accurate barometer of a players’ talents and signing a player from The Netherlands usually results in a glut of goals or a wasted transfer fee.
For every Ruud Van Nistelrooy, there’s an Afonso Alves, for every Luis Suarez and Mateja Kezman and so on.
Yet, while Everton did not bring in one of Holland’s most prolific goalscorers this summer, they did not sign a single out-and-out striker much to the chagrin of supporters, Davy Klaassen’s early struggles at Goodison Park suggest they too have fallen into the Eredivisie trap.
Klaassen, a former Ajax captain, had been one of the most exciting and fearsome midfielders in Holland over the last couple of years. Blessed with quick feet, the vision of a clairvoyant and the all-too rare ability to score from deep, netting 35 goals in his last two Ajax seasons, the 14-time Dutch international looked an excellent signing on paper.
Even at a rather hefty £23.6 million, as reported by the BBC.
So far, however, the 24-year-old’s impact has been rather minimal in the Premier League. Klaassen has started just three games and is yet to complete the 90 minutes in an Everton shirt.
Stats website WhoScored give Klaassen an average match rating of 6.11, above only the seldom seen duo Kevin Mirallas and Aaron Lennon as well as fellow summer signing Sandro Ramirez.
And supporters are already fearing whether last season’s Europa League finalist lacks the pace or the subtlety to make that substantial step up from the Eredivisie to the Premier League.
So far, Klaassen has not done the reputation of Holland’s top flight much good.
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