Nigeria forward Chidera Ejuke is happy with the competition for his signature by Dutch giants Ajax and Feyennoord.
The two clubs have been linked with Ejuke who was one of the standout performers in the Dutch Eredivisie last season.
The 22-year-old scored 10 goals and bagged six assists in 29 appearances across all competitions for SC Heerenven last season.
Feyenoord are believed to be ahead of their rival in the race for the signature of the winger.
Read Also: Ejuke Ready To Wait For Super Eagles Chance
Ajax want to bring in Ejuke as replacement for Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech who has linked up with Premier League club Chelsea.
“To be honest, of course, I love this competition,” Ejuke was quoted as saying by Soccer News Netherlands.
“If an opportunity arises, then, of course, it depends on what the club and I want. What the club ultimately wants will also be best for me.”
Ejuke joined Heerenveen from Norwegian club Valerenga last summer.
2 Comments
That is obviously the way to go to be an eagle!I would go to Ajax,i think Ajax is a team internationally acclaimed and renowned for her rich history and successes both domestically and European championships respectively.
The dream of playing for the super eagles is not far-fetched if the deal pulls through,additionally,when you make the right choices its no longer improbable to excel and get to the summit of your career.
A big career move coupled with great performances will definitely leave your international manager with no choice.
It is difficult for me jump for joy at discovering a talent in a department that is already saturated with quality options for the Super Eagles at the moment, like the flanks.
Ejuke Chidera is a promising winger no doubt however he plays in a very crowded field where the established players in that position are up to the job and quite flamboyant in their own rights.
Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa and Dennis Bonaventure are all highly credible wingers at our disposal. That said, throwing Ejuke into the mix can only help established players not to get complacent.
However, on a good day, who can he dislodge?
According to transfermarkt.com, Ejuke can play as a left winger, right winger or attacking midfielder which instantly puts all the players I named in the previous paragraph on notice.
For me, it is not a case of whether the 22 year old Heerenven winger is better than any of the options we have at the moment. Rather, it is whether the performances of any of the established players for Nigeria warrants the search for viable replacement.
Start with Samuel Kalu, he is consistent strong performer for Nigeria who can be trusted to almost regularly deliver 7/10 ratings display in national colours. The same can be said of Moses Simon who is more solid than spectacular these days with displays that balance attacking threats with defensive solidity.
Samuel Chukwueze is up and coming and has provided mature displays for Nigeria when called up. Iwobi is near-untouchable with his all round versatility and an engine room that is always in ‘Perpetual Motion’ when in Nigeria colours.
Having said all that, if Ejuke can prove to be as truly versatile as transfermarkt.com states, then he should still be able to carve out a place for himself where it seems uncarvable.
When the opportunity does present himself, Ejuke will do himself a world of good to prove speedily that he can translate club performances in international setting, something that is difficult to achieve than it usually seems.
The players he will be hoping to displace might actually not be a skillful as he is but these are all seasoned international players who scarcely disappoint when they wear their national team jerseys.
If he thinks his skills alone will guarantee success in international football, he might be in for a rude awakening! His skills are a good start. How he plays in sync with new colleagues (drawn from different clubs) and works with them to get the best out of the team in a highly political environment will be key to determining how this novice of international football will dislodge those who have been playing the game and playing it well (on and off the pitch) for quite some time.