René van der Gijp sees Souffian El Karouani as the ideal left back for Ajax. In Today Inside the analyst expresses his surprise at the fact that the Moroccan international still plays for FC Utrecht. According to Van der Gijp, El Karouani has top-level kicking technique and can easily be deployed in the top three in the Netherlands.
“I was watching Utrecht – PSV and I actually paid special attention to one player: El Karouani,” Van der Gijp began his argument. “I find it incomprehensible that that boy still plays for Utrecht. He really has a great kick with his left hand. You rarely see that.”
The former international is afraid that El Karouani will be overlooked despite his qualities. “He is almost transfer-free, but then another club comes along that thinks: nice, three left backs in the selection. Add a spare. But he is simply part of the first eleven.” Van der Gijp understands that the failed transfer of Owen Wijndal to Ajax influences the perception of left backs from the Eredivisie, but believes that clubs should not attach too much importance to this.
Valentijn Driessen is critical and states that El Karouani ‘cannot defend’. Van der Gijp waves away that criticism. “Yes, that’s not so bad. Look, Daley Blind may have been too slow, but he could play great football. If you compensate for it in another way, that’s completely fine.”
According to The Telegraph interest in El Karouani has now been strongly stimulated internationally. Clubs such as Eintracht Frankfurt, West Ham United, Bologna, FC Porto and Benfica have their eyes on the 25-year-old full-back. West Ham is even mentioned as a concrete option, although Driessen does not like that. “You just shouldn’t do that, because they will be relegated. Then you will soon be in the Championship.”
El Karouani is in his third season in Utrecht and has now made 98 official appearances for the club, scoring five times and providing no fewer than 27 assists. He is in top form this season in particular: with fifteen (!) assists before the winter break, he is one of the most productive defenders in Europe.
El Karouani recently suffered a sporting blow when he was left out of Morocco’s Africa Cup selection. A move to a bigger league could put him back in the picture for next summer’s World Cup. Van der Gijp states that Ajax should recruit him immediately. “He participates effortlessly at all three top clubs,” says the former right winger.
