Antony for £10 million. Lisandro Martinez for £6 million. Dusan Tadic for £12 million, Hakim Ziyech for £9 million and Davinson Sanchez for £4 million.
Ajax don’t often get it wrong in the transfer market.
Mateo Cassierra, however, represents a rare mis-step from a club who have become the inspirational posterboys for any side looking to embrace a ‘sign low, sell high’ policy.
Ajax invested £5 million in Cassierra during the summer of 2016, signing the 19-year-old Colombian from Deportivo Cali after he shot to fame across the Atlantic with 17 goals in his first 56 senior appearances.
“I am very happy to be here,” the teenager told the club’s official website, via BeIN Sports, at the time. “I know a lot of big names from the past: Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Luis Suarez. Ajax has a wonderful history.
“It is fantastic that I should start wearing the Ajax shirt. This is a dream come true.”
Will Rangers sign former Ajax man Mateo Cassierra?
It would be rather hyperbolic to suggest that ‘dream’ turned into a nightmare.
But while Davinson Sanchez played a major role in Ajax’s run to the 2017 Europa League final, becoming Tottenham Hotspur’s record signing to the tune of £42.5 million shortly afterwards, things didn’t work out quite so well for compatriot Cassierra.
Despite shining for Ajax’s reserve team in 2017/18 – he was their top scorer – Cassierra struggled to make the step up at first-team level, finding the net just five times before being shipped out to Portuguese outfit Belenenses.
Cassierra has bounced back from his Ajax disappointment, impressing at Belenenses before enjoying a respectable debut season in Russia with FC Socchi.
To describe Cassierra as a ‘prolific goalscorer’ would be wide of the mark however. Despite reports suggesting the now-25-year-old frontman could join Europa League finalists Rangers in the summer transfer window, few at Ajax will be looking back on their decision to sell Cassierra for a knock-down £2 million fee with much regret.
“The Rangers are definitely in need of a striker,” Russian reporter Ruben Naguchev tells Sport24. “Mateo Cassierra is very interesting for the club.
“The Rangers management has already contacted Sochi. (Former Feyenoord coach Giovanni) Van Bronkhorst knows this player well.”
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When quizzed on Cassierra’s future, the Colombian’s agent refused to rule out a move to Ibrox.
“Let’s see if Mateo leaves Russia in the summer or not,” the representative says. “It all depends on how events develop. Rangers? We are considering various options.”
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