Sebastien Haller returned to form after joining Ajax in January 2021 from West Ham United. The Ivory Coast international struggled to make an impact in the English Premier League after a big-money move from Eintracht Frankfurt. However, things have changed since his move to Ajax, and he has become a prolific goalscorer. Last season, he made 42 appearances overall and scored 34 goals for the Dutch side. He helped Ajax reach the knockout stage of the Champions League by scoring 11 goals in just eight matches. Erik ten Hag has left the club, and a few players are also considering a move away from the club. The new manager has to build a new team, and he should consider building it around Haller, who was their main player this season.
Haller made eight appearances in the UEFA Champions League, and these included seven starts. He scored 11 goals and provided two assists. When looking at the above chart, the general rule is that the longer the bar, the better the performance — you can see the league average in the middle, and the % is the percentile rank the player is in. He was the third-highest goalscorer in the competition, behind Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski. These two players made more appearances in the competition than Haller. He averaged around 2.7 shots per 90 minutes, and this included one headed shot per 90 minutes. The tall figure of Haller makes him a threat in the air, and the player makes full use of it.
Haller is ever-present inside the opposition’s penalty box. He is a threat in the air, and Ajax players have delivered some crosses to find the striker. He received most of the passes from Daley Blind, who features on the left side. The striker has also taken some wide positions to win the ball.
The above shot map shows all the 22 shots attempted by the striker. He managed to hit the target 14 times with a high shot accuracy rate of 63.64%. He scored one goal from the penalty spot and the rest of the goals from around the penalty spot area. He found spaces inside the opposition’s 6-yard box and was deadly with his finishing.
Ajax could lose a few players in the recent transfer window. Ryan Gravenberch has already left the club, and Jurrien Timber and Antony are also considering a move away from the Dutch club. Alfred Schreuder is the new man in charge, and he will make some tactical changes to the team. With Sebastien Haller playing as the striker, he could benefit a lot like ten Hag did last season. Haller is ever-present inside the opposition’s penalty box and can score goals. He could become the target man and allow the other players to make forward runs. The striker is also on the wishlist of a few other clubs, but Ajax have to keep their hold on Haller in case they want to do well next season.
