According to AD.nl, Nico Tagliafico has requested to leave Dutch-champions Ajax. The 29-year-old was previously regarded as one of the best in his position, however he has recently lost his place due to Ajax’s new tactical system.
Nico Tagliafico Asks to Leave Ajax
Nico Taglifaco: Where Did it Go Wrong?
Tagliafico spent a large part of his career in Argentina, where he represented Banfield & Independiente. He made over 170 for both clubs and won the Copa Sudamericana in 2017. His relative success and consistency earned him a move to Ajax in January 2018.
Tagliafico made the move to Amsterdam for a reported fee of £4 million, a bargain in today’s market. His time at Ajax includes two Eredivisie titles & two Dutch cups. His success was noticed by the Argentinian national team and since then, he has been involved in the set-up, winning the Copa America in 2021.
In previous years, the left-back was heavily linked with clubs such as Chelsea, however a deal never materialised. The player is now requesting to leave as he is no longer a starter for Ajax. Daley Blind has eclipsed him to the left-back spot following a solid run of form. Ajax are currently one point-off leaders PSV, with the two teams set to face each other on Sunday 23 January. Ajax, however, have an astounding goal difference of 55 due to their solid defence. The reigning champions have only conceded four goals in 19 games this season, meaning that there is no need for defensive changes.
Tagliafico has spent the majority of the season on the bench or in the reserves, however he sees himself as better than that. The player ideally wants to represent Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar, but he needs to be playing regularly to ensure possibilities of a call-up. He has appeared only three times in the Eredivisie this season, and has never completed a full 90 minutes.
Where Next?
With Tagliafico requesting to leave, his agent reportedly flew to Amsterdam on Tuesday to discuss the situation with Ajax representatives. Ajax are reluctant to let the player leave, with Ten Hag previously stating: “If players go, we will first want to have a replacement. In that order, that’s the ideal picture. Financially we are not forced to sell.”
Napoli and Olympique Marseille have expressed their interest, however both are looking to loan the player. It is unclear whether Ajax would prefer a permanent sale or a loan option. The club is further hesitant on the sale due to the lack of depth in defensive positions. Loaning out Nico Tagliafico in his prime may be seen as unnecessary for the club, who have reportedly claimed that they will allow the player to leave on their terms.
Fabrizio Romano tweeted: “Napoli are interested in signing him on loan with buy option, waiting for Ajax answer next week.”
Tagliafico’s contract currently expires in 2023, meaning that Ajax have to decide quickly on his future. He reportedly was close to joining West Ham in August 2021 for €12 million, however the deal broke down due to a “bureaucratic problem”, according to Zach Lowy.
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