Some of football’s greatest ever players have been produced in Ajax’s factory.
Johan Cruyff started his career there. There’s the iconic Champions League-winning side featuring Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Frank Rijkaard and more. More recently, the team of 2019 including excellent talents like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.
Ajax’s ability to constantly product footballers is admirable. And Mika Godts is the latest talent from the production line, attracting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
But why are the two London giants possibly after him? What makes Godts such a good player, and why is there so much hype?
In this article we’ll cover:
Creating and decision-making
It may be odd to mention, but Godts doesn’t have the body of the typical ‘little genius’ we have seen over the years. The David Silvas, or Andres Iniestas of the world, for instant.
The Belgian is quite tall, at 5’9″, and has a thin frame which can make him more awkward to mark, and nimble on the ball. It’s clear that Godts has an air of elegance to his game, similar to Dimitar Berbatov. He’s dangerous, but everything looks nice.
Godts’ trademark is receiving the ball from wide left, cutting in to draw defenders towards him, before slipping in a man behind. He opens up the space for the man running in behind, due to the full-back’s attention behind on Godts.
Godts’ biggest positive is knowing that his strength is in creating for others, while many other attackers want to do the work themselves. His decision making is another strength, with his encouraging for Ajax.
Normally, when a young player has promise, it’s something that needs working on. They tend to enjoy attacking but break down attacks by taking on bad shots or over-dribbling.
Look at someone like Alejandro Garnacho. He showed huge promise when making his Manchester United debut, but hasn’t improved on the bright start. That becomes harder to coach late on, as players get stuck in their ways.
Godts’ selflessness and decision-making in the attacking third is impressive. He’s an exciting attacker, who is classy but not flashy. That’s a unique mix.
Statistics back up the eye test
Godts’ through ball stats back up his speciality of slipping attackers in on goal. He’s averaged 0.45 through balls per 90 minutes in the Eredivisie this season, completing 0.3 per 90. This has led to an average of 0.41 assists from open play per 90.
As a winger, Godts naturally has the old-school mentalityof taking his man on when receiving, as opposed to dropping deep or needing a license to roam and be effective. He’s fearless in taking his full-back on, and uses it as a mechanism to create chances. That shows with his 2.94 completed take-ons per 90, from 6.1 attempts.
There are always things for young players to improve on. Particularly as they are moulded to the way their manager wants to play. And a lot of their development depends on whether they fit with how a team attacks.
Godts’ 16 league goals for Ajax this season shows that he could him a creative void at Arsenal. The Gunners rely heavily on Bukayo Saka, and don’t have the same attacking output as they did in 2022-23. Similarly, Chelsea possess wingers in Ganarcho and Pedro Neto who look more promising tha nwhat they actually produce.
It’s no wonder Godts is subject to interest from both London clubs. The Ajax winger would add much-needed decision-making, dynamism, creativity and, most importantly, an end product.
You never know how an attacker will settle when signed for big money. But Godts’ maturity is well worth the punt.