Every transfer is essentially a gamble. You can never really predict how a player will settle into his new environment. Some, though, are tailor-made for their new club and seamlessly assimilate. One such individual is Hakim Ziyech, a supremely gifted playmaker, who is quietly establishing himself in Amsterdam, a city renowned for celebrating panache.
Ziyech, long courted by Ajax, joined the 33-time champions before the recent transfer window closed; a marquee signing in the youthful Eredivisie, which is increasingly losing its lustre. For a while now the 23-year-old has been without equal, someone you gladly pay to watch, but timing couldn't be any more bittersweet.
Prior to his arrival the Amsterdammers had just crashed out of the Champions League before it really began as well as struggling to get their Eredivisie season up and running. Though it's fair to say he's made up for lost time.
An uber-creative footballer, Ziyech is what – as crazy as it may sound – Ajax have been missing for some time now. Despite the plethora of attacking-midfielders already based in the nation's capital, there's no one who possess his quality, which isn't a critique rather a fair observation.
The Dutch-born Moroccan international, whose signature from FC Twente cost in the region of £10m, is a genuine difference maker even if that description is exhaustively used these days. So, it's no surprise to see across his first seven matches, in all competitions, he's been involved in eight goals: creating six and scoring twice himself.
In their recent 5-1 win over PEC Zwolle he celebrated a second career Eredivisie assist hat-trick to go with his five braces. Much of his seamless transition is down to manager Peter Bosz, who succeeded Frank de Boer in the summer, and his footballing vision which is in sync with Ziyech's.
Bosz, a disciple of Johan Cruyff's teachings, has built a reputation as a forward-thinking coach fully committed to daring football; evident during his spell at Heracles, who became one of the more enjoyable sides to watch for the neutral. It's naturally taken a while, but his vision is starting to come across.
Initially starting out in a supporting role as a wide-forward, even though Bosz gave him the license to drift inside, Ziyech has since become an integral piece operating in tandem with Davy Klaassen, another imaginative midfielder, as one of two deep-lying forwards behind their central striker in a 4-3-3 set-up.
Quite simply, it's where he's best, as the last eighteen months with FC Twente have shown. In a sea of darkness, he was undoubtedly their shining light, producing 17 goals and 10 assists as they finished 13th last season. If anything this was confirmation of his specialness. He ended as Twente's highest rated player (7.75), by a considerable margin, and their loss is Ajax's gain.
What immediately stands out watching Ziyech is his acumen and effortless finesse, which has drawn comparisons with Mesut Özil - another who shares the "assist king" moniker. A badge he's proud to wear seeing as his preference is to "make a decisive pass than score". So far, Ziyech's tally of four is the equal best return in this season's Eredivisie so far. Overall, since turning professional at boyhood club Heerenveen, he's created 40 goals with 67.5% of those coming in the shirt of Twente.
Ziyech's ascent is confirmation of his boundless potential. During his breakthrough campaign (2013/14) influential magazine Voetbal International introduced him to readers as a "classical 'number ten' with a golden left foot". Marco van Basten, then Heerenveen manager, was convinced of his ability, describing him as "a player with many qualities".
At times in his final year in Enschede it felt like he was one or two steps ahead of everyone on the field. Ajax, as a consequence, felt like the next logical step, and in the process he'll no doubt bring a different dimension to Bosz's game.
There's an argument, despite not coming through their system, he's the archetypal Ajax footballer. Strong tactical discipline, spatial awareness, energy, speed of thought, decision-making and technical ability. He's also made of the right stuff to survive the pressures that come with representing Dutch football's biggest club; his temperament is a testament to his character; serene and secure, comfortable in everything he does.
Like so many across the Netherlands it was on the streets where he developed; from a difficult upbringing, joining Heerenveen's youth set-up aged 11, he's now an example. "As a young boy you are very impressionable," he once explained. "You cannot afford to make many mistakes [off the pitch], because then your career would be over before it's really begun". Now mature beyond his years he reminisces, "luckily with the help of others I have made the right choices and it's going well".
One of those individuals is the former Heerenveen team manager Pieter Busscher. "I had a very short fuse and got into a lot of trouble," Ziyech once recalled in a conversation with Voetbal International. "He dragged me through difficult moments." Busscher, who he's known since his youth days, has also been a positive male role model. "When I arrived at the club my father had just passed away. He's been important to me. He became my confidant."
Heerenveen subsequently gave him the platform to unleash his raw ability. Twente took on the baton and now it's Ajax's turn. Bosz, a long-term admirer, knows what he's getting, with Ziyech there's no overcomplicating. In summation a skilled dribbler (1.2 per game), accurate passer (0.2 through balls per game), and crosser (2.4 per game).
But what can Ajax do for him? Well, for starters, playing in a side that enjoys heavy possession gives him more time on the ball, a blessing for someone of his calibre. Perfectly illustrated across his nine league appearances to date, in the matches with Twente this season he averaged 37 passes per game, after five outings with Ajax it's increased substantially to 51.8 per game.
Of course, playing for the Amsterdammers requires a different mentality, which he is getting to grips with; their steadfastness to universality, players comfortable in operating in different areas of the pitch, and constant positional rotating (ideas which Bosz, who studied Louis van Gaal's training sessions in the mid-1990s, has retained) means Ziyech will need to be strong defensively – averaging 1.2 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game – as well as in attack.
Previously the nimble Ziyech, who harbours ambitions to play in Europe's more demanding leagues one day, expressed fitness concerns. "I have to be physically stronger, watch my diet and rest, and work even harder in training". It's no longer a concern; even though, as Dutch footballing legend Willem van Hanegem once proclaimed "brains and technique [are needed] in football, physicality for weightlifters".
It goes without saying he's not the most imposing, but what the fleet-footed Ziyech lacks in size he sure makes up for it with his vision. Every thought is creating the next chance, already producing 3.2 key passes per game, and working under Dennis Bergkamp feels like a reward for a player of pure imagination as his many goals can testify.
Recently he's been named as one of the 30 nominees for this year's African Footballer of the Year. Though he's not going to walk away with the title, being acknowledged is nevertheless confirmation of his continual progression, which is a victory in its own right.
How long do you think it will be before Ziyech earns a move to one of Europe's top leagues? Let us know in the comments below
