Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly showing interest in Ajax midfielder Riechedly Bazoer, who could be available for a cut-price fee of £12.5m.
Goal have cited Voetbal International as reporting that Arsenal and Chelsea are chasing a January transfer for Ajax midfielder Riechedly Bazoer. The youngster, who has been likened to Patrick Vieira and Frank Rijkaard, is reportedly available for a cut-price fee of around £12.5m, with the London duo eager to sign the player in the upcoming transfer window.
Riechedly Bazoer is a 20-year-old Netherlands international who transferred to Ajax from PSV in 2012 and has since gone on to establish himself in the Ajax first-team setup. However, after a stellar 2015-16 campaign, the midfielder has had a pretty disappointing 2016-17 season thus far.
Bazoer started the first two matches of the season for Ajax but has since made just three appearances — two of them being as a substitute — and he is yet to record a goal or an assist in the league this season. His disappointing start to the campaign has seen his stock take a dip in recent times.
Bazoer’s dip in form has been such that Ajax, who once valued him at £25m, are now prepared to listen to offers for the player in January for as little as £12.5m.
Even though the Netherlands international has started the season slowly, Arsenal and Chelsea are fully aware of Bazoer’s talents and are unlikely to hesitate to make an outlay of £12.5m for a player with the potential that Bazoer possesses. Bazoer himself could be tempted by a move to the Premier League.
Chelsea and Antonio Conte are in the market to add to their midfield options and could use the energetic presence of the 20-year-old in the middle of the park. Arsenal, on the other hand, have no real dearth of midfielders in their squad and a move for Bazoer would not seem as realistic for both the player and the club.
A player like Bazoer needs playing time to develop further and that might be the decisive factor in his choice. For now, the player seems to be staying put at Ajax till January, but it would be interesting to see if any club is willing to take the gamble to land the talent.
