Having already acquired Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen, Jose Mourinho returned to the summer transfer market last week to snap up highly-rated Dutch youngster Marco Van Ginkel from Vitesse Arnhem. The 20-year-old arrives at Stamford Bridge on a five-year contract for a reported fee of £9m, with the Blues beating off the challenge of Ajax Amsterdam in order to secure his signature:
In an interview with the club’s official website, the new boy revealed his delight after clinching the move to Stamford Bridge, following an impressive showing for Holland in this summer’s Euro 2013 Under 21 tournament:
“I spoke with the manager and he had some good words for me. If a trainer like this says these things to you it makes you really proud and I am happy to work with him. I’m very happy to be here at such a nice club with great players. I am really happy, the stadium is good and the training ground is fantastic. I know about all the players and will meet them on Monday. I expect a lot, I’ve watched matches and it’s really nice to be here.”
The History
A product of the Vitesse Arnhem youth academy, Van Ginkel made his debut as a 17-year-old back in April 2010. His first year at the club saw him afforded just four appearances (three of those off the bench) before he established himself as a first-team regular the following season. Over the next two years, Van Ginkel produced 10 goals and six assists from 56 league matches but significantly stepped up in performance last season, with eight goals and 10 assists from 33 appearances helping Vitesse to a fourth place finish in the Eredivisie – as a result he was voted Dutch Football Talent of the Year, an award afforded to players under the age of 21.
On the international stage, Van Ginkel has represented Holland at Under 19 and Under 21 level a total of 18 times, scoring on three occasions and supplying a pair of assists. He has also made the step up to the senior side and was handed his debut in a friendly against Germany last November.
The Prospects
Standing six foot one, Van Ginkel’s sound positioning, allied with an ability to break quickly from the back whilst in possession, suggests he may be more suited to the role of a deep-lying playmaker in a 4-2-3-1 but his recent goal record highlights the Dutchman’s versatility. An ability to feature as the most advanced central midfielder in a 4-3-3 looks beneficial to Van Ginkel’s game time under Mourinho – intriguingly, reports in the Guardian suggest the Chelsea boss is eyeing up a return to the latter formation, which was the foundation for his successful stint at the Bridge first time around.
Given the multitude of attacking talents currently available to Mourinho, there’s a fear that the Dutchman may be no more than a bench-warmer but, with next year’s World Cup in mind, the midfielder admitted he sought assurances over game time from his new manager before signing on the dotted line:
“I want to play games and not only sit on the bench – that’s what I hope for. I want to play in games at these great stadiums and hopefully be important for the team, whether it is from the bench or from the start…Everybody wants to go to Brazil. ‘You have to play’ – that’s what Louis van Gaal has said to players. I think I can play games and I think the Premier League is higher than the Dutch league, so you can learn more physically and technically, and develop. That’s why I am here.”
Nevertheless, with Ramires, David Luiz, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel and Oriol Romeu to compete with in central midfield, and with Juan Mata and Oscar surely ahead of the Dutchman for the role in “the hole”, a fair degree of uncertainty remains over Van Ginkel’s likely number of starts. Indeed, the theory is that Van Ginkel has been purchased with the long-term in mind as a successor to Lampard – his clever runs into the box from deep and penchant for a long shot place him in the perfect position to become the veteran’s successor.
Priced at a lowly 3.6 in the Sky Sports game, Van Ginkel should come in around 6.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). He may be far more budget-friendly than many of the Chelsea midfield but, at present, it’s difficult to make a real case for his consideration here, in spite of his undoubted potential. The pre-season friendlies should afford us a window into Mourinho’s thinking over the next few weeks – while a regular role in the double-pivot would be worthwhile in the Sky game given his cost alone, whether he’s ready to step up as a viable FPL asset is currently open to debate.
Further Reference
Marco Van Ginkel Transfer Markt Page
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