Scouting Report on Reported Tottenham Transfer Target Davinson Sanchez
Despite falling to defeat in the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United in May, Peter Bosz’s youthful, exciting Ajax team emerged from the game with a lot of credit to their name. Such a holistic approach to playing is what fans love to see, and when it’s carried out with a group of players largely still in their teens, it becomes even more impressive.
The likes of Matthijs De Ligt (18) and Kasper Dolberg (19) were among the most talked-about names heading into that final, but it was another—Davinson Sanchez (21)—who truly caught the eye on the night.
The Colombian centre-back joined Ajax from Atletico Nacional in 2016, having initially agreed a deal with Barcelona. Sport reported last summer that the deal had been finalised for €3.5 million, but once it emerged Sanchez would begin his Camp Nou career in the “B” team, he stalled on the offer and Ajax swooped in with what he wanted: first-team football in a European league.
Young players often make the move to prestigious clubs too soon, and they’re often criticised for it using the benefit of hindsight. The most important thing for any player in Sanchez’s position would be to play football for a club whose style suited his attributes, and spurning Barca’s initial interest might well be the best decision he ever makes. He should be praised for the decision made just over 12 months ago.
His football and career prospects have benefited demonstrably from the choice made. He started 32 (of a possible 34) Eredivisie matches for Ajax in 2016-17, and he featured in 12 Europa League games. His defensive partner was switched up throughout the season (De Ligt only emerged post-Christmas), but that didn’t knock him off his stride.
An integral part of a defence that conceded the joint-fewest goals (23) last season, Sanchez stood out as an aggressive, physical presence from the start. He pushes high, ventures into midfield to intercept, sticks to his markers like glue and rarely lets them breathe.
These are all qualities that suited Bosz’s style perfectly. The Dutch manager utilises a high press and a high defensive line (now with Borussia Dortmund, though, not Ajax), so finding centre-backs who are comfortable operating on the halfway line with acres of space behind them is imperative. Sanchez fits that mould; he has the aggressiveness to push up and squeeze play, but he also has the speed and quickness to recover and chase if the ball slips by him.
There are still times when well-worked moves, or talented one-on-one players, get the better of Sanchez—but that is an inherent, established risk of playing in such a manner. Just recently in the Champions League qualifiers against OGC Nice, Mario Balotelli lured him into deeper areas and turned him a few times, creating big spaces, while Bassem Srarfi ditched him with a slick piece of dribbling.
But moments such as the one pictured, during the Europa League final when Sanchez chased Marcus Rashford down over 20 yards and dispossessed him with a slide tackle, show how even if he's initially beaten, he can recover in spectacular style.
Sanchez’s comfort levels on the ball improved throughout the 2016-17 season, and by the end, he was capable of firing firm, low passes between the lines and into his forwards’ feet. Bringing an element of verticality to play from the back is a trait many managers adore; if you can turn defence into attack with one ball, you’re effective in all three thirds.
The Colombian’s longer switch passes are pretty good, too; he’s able to shift the point of emphasis with the swing of a leg, and at Ajax, his out-ball has often been Amin Younes on the left flank. Sanchez can also be used as a reset point in possession when his team recycle the ball around, with possession going back to him under pressure and him finding a new angle shortly after.
Players who combine all of these traits—aggressiveness, speed, comfort high up and forward passing—are difficult to find. Those who have them and are happy to stand inside the opponent’s half for much of the game, with a large scope for error, are doubly so.
That’s why it shouldn’t surprise that after just one full season in Europe, vultures are circling the skies of Amsterdam, hoping to take Sanchez off Ajax’s hands. The player has admitted he still wishes to play for Barcelona, per Radio Barcelona (h/t ESPN FC), while Sky Sports report Tottenham Hotspur are interested, too.
But if Sanchez were to opt for a move to either, he’d been doing the opposite of what he did last summer: prioritising football. He’s good, but he’s not breaking up the central-defensive partnerships already in place at Spurs or Barca.
All statistics via WhoScored.com
