Premier League outfit Everton were linked with a £45m move for Ajax’s Eredivisie winner and Champions League semi-finalist David Neres.
Wingers by their very nature are inconsistent. But if Ajax forward David Neres wants to follow in the footsteps of Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, he really can’t afford too many displays like last night’s in Cyprus.
The Champions League semi-finalists face a fight to even feature in the competition this time around after a goalless draw away at Apoel Nicosia in the final qualifying round.
Ajax, as they tend to do, dominated 72 per cent of the possession but they’d have been staring down the barrel of a shock two-legged defeat if it wasn’t for an inspired display from the iron wrists of Andre Onana in between the sticks.
And while Hakim Ziyech and Dusan Tadic were far from their enigmatic best, it seems that much of the blame has been apportioned to Neres. The Eredivisie-winning winger certainly endured an evening to forget in sweltering conditions at the GSP Stadium.
A jet-heeled forward with an eye for goal, Neres was a constant presence in the gossip columns after producing 12 goals and 15 assists during Ajax’s double-winning 2018/19 campaign. Everton were keen on a potential £45 million deal, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
But Neres still has a lot to learn. For every dazzling display in which he leaves full-backs for dead and goalkeepers grasping at thin air, there’s a night where everything seems to go wrong.
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