Meritan Shabani has admitted that he could have succeeded Frenkie de Jong at Ajax rather than join Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2019, speaking to Transfermarkt.
Considering that this diminutive Dutch international is almost completely unique in the modern game, it’s no wonder Ajax have found it so difficult replacing his influence in the centre of the park.
15 months after he left the Eredivisie giants to complete a £65 million move to Barcelona, Erik ten Hag’s side arguably still don’t possess a midfielder with De Jong’s ability to orchestrate an entire game with a simply shimmy, a slaloming run or the subtlest of through balls.
21-year-old Shabani was one player Ajax had identified to fill the boots of their departed academy graduate but, after the Amsterdam giants failed to agree a deal with Bayern Munich, Wolves came calling instead.
“What I noticed at the time is that Ajax wanted me to be de Jong’s successor. And they really wanted me,” says the dynamic young German.
“That would have been a good step for me and something that I actually wanted to do. But Bayern didn’t want to (let me go to Ajax) and refused. Why – I don’t know.
“It just didn’t work out in the end. That’s it.”
Not that Shabani is regretting his decision to sign a three-year deal with Wolves in August 2019.
A cruciate ligament injury ruined his debut season at Molineux but Shabani is now training regularly with Nuno Espirito Santo’s first-team squad.
And, in the Portuguese tactician, Wolves have a coach who tends to hand out debuts like they’re going out of fashion.
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