Ajax are known for producing some of the biggest talents in world football. They have one of the best academies in the world and are often forced to sell their best players. This summer, the Dutch team sold Jurrien Timber, who was followed by Edson Alvarez and Mohammad Kudus.
The Dutch side recruited a few players in the summer, including the talented 19-year-old winger Carlos Borges. He is a former Manchester City player and got into the limelight during the UEFA U19 Euros. Now that there is an exciting new exciting talent in the team, here is a look at what Borges can add to this side.
Pace on the wings
Carlos Borges looked on a different level while playing in the Euros this summer. He had the skills and speed to beat a top defender.
In the U19 Euros, Borges played on the left flank. However, at Ajax, he is given a different role and plays on the right wing. The forward has made three appearances for his new side in all competitions and has an assist to his name. This has been a decent start for Borges as he settles into a team that lost some of its first-team players in the summer.
As mentioned earlier, Carlos Borges has the speed and skill to beat any top defender. In the UEFA U19 Championship in Malta during the summer, he was running down the left flank and was involved in two goals.
The above viz shows the winger’s actions in the championship and in the summer. Borges attempted 22 dribbles to beat the opposition’s defence and managed to do so 68.2% of the time. This often gave him a chance to put a ball into the opposition’s penalty box. Carlos Borges struggled with his crosses a bit and only had a 27% accuracy rate. However, most of these crosses landed in dangerous goal-scoring areas.
End product
One area where Carlos Borges needs to improve himself is in registering more goals and assists. In the U19 Championship, the winger scored one goal and provided one assist. He attempted seven shots to score and managed to hit the target twice. Borges played on the left flank, and that makes it difficult for a left-footed player to score from that angle.
For Ajax, the player has yet to register a shot but is already on the assists chart. Carlos Borges is an upcoming, talented player who could prove to be the difference in the coming years. He is just 19 and will be eyeing silverware with them in his first season in the Netherlands.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
