Victor Jensen – Jong Ajax’ gifted playmaker
Ajax have been one of the leaders in attracting and developing young Scandinavian talent as scout, John Steen Olsen has been integral to identifying young talent like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kasper Dolberg. Ajax may have not had the best of luck in recent years with Finnish talent but have continued to scour the region for young prospects as the growth in the strength of the leagues and improvement in youth coaching, have made it fertile ground for young talent. Ajax had no qualms in shelling out €3.5 million for Danish youngster, Victor Jensen from FC Copenhagen in the summer of 2017. The 20-year-old will spend the next six months on loan at Nordsjaelland as he has put in some impressive performances for Jong Ajax but finds a pathway to the first team blocked by Ajax’ plethora of attacking talent.
Jensen joined Ajax as a prodigious young winger, but his quick feet, innate movement and creativity have been better utilized as a central attacking midfielder this season. He has been one of the standouts for Jong Ajax, coming off the bench at home PEC Zwolle for his debut with Ajax 1 as it is a hope that his progress will be continued in Denmark before the U21 European Championships in the summer. Ajax still intend to keep the youngster as they turned down offers with an option to buy in the recent winter transfer window as the 20-year-old’s current contract will last until 2023. The next six months will be integral for monitoring his progress for Ajax and other clubs as the Amsterdammers are looking to prevent a repeat of the Noa Lang situation.
The youngster’s first touch when he moves into the tighter spaces in between the lines is immaculate as at home to Excelsior, he flicked a pass to Naci Unuvar before flicking another pass for the youngster to attempt a pass in behind to Lassina Traore. He then utilized another brilliant first touch to play a fantastic through ball to Giovanni on the break for the Brazilian winger to have a shot saved. The Dane would also make a movement to the top of the box to receive a pass from Youri Regeer and send a shot wide. Jensen was crucial in transition, receiving possession from Enric Llansana and Regger to turn and drive his side forward on the break.
Jensen, normally plays as an attacking midfielder but moves to the right half-space to receive possession and work connections while he can also fashion shots from the flank, receiving possession, cutting inside and looking to score or moving to the near post for crosses so he can tap in. Away to NAC Breda, he received possession, turned out of a challenge and worked a pass to Llansana before utilizing another turn to beat a marker and slide a pass for a runner in the channels to have a shot saved. He uses the mastery of his touch in between the lines to add guile to his side’s attacking play, sending searching through balls to attackers or spreading into the wide areas as he can create chances with through balls in the central pockets.
However, this match was a game where the Dane struggled, constantly showing for the ball in between the lines but being starved of possession so he had to drop deep to receive possession and connect play before receiving the ball in between the lines and having the opportunity to create chances. He received a line-breaking pass from Musampa to drive the ball forward as he went large amounts of time without receiving possession. He earned a red card against Jong AZ but returned after missing a game with suspension against Den Bosch, as Unuvar played a superb through ball for Sontje Hansen to lay-off for Jensen who was fouled in the box as Brian Brobbey stepped up to finish the penalty.
He then showed his ability not only in the central channels but also in the wide areas when he received possession on the right flank, to control and hold the ball up before working a pass at the perfect time for Jurrien Timber to push up. The Dane was then denied a goal after Hansen regained the ball in the press and played in Jensen to go 1v1 with the keeper to chip the ball for a defender to clear off the line. The unlucky 20-year-old would then have another shot cleared off the line as Brobbey squared a cross for him to have his shot blocked. However, Jensen’s ability to play the game at his time and pace shone through as he can freeze time when he receives the ball in between the lines to work passes into space while adding press resistance from deep and drifting through the attacking zones, connecting play.
A few days later, at home to Volendam, he finally got his goal as Regeer found him in between the lines with a brilliant pass as Jensen tried to spread the ball for Jaymilio Pinas but the pass was intercepted for Pinas to regain possession and cut-back for Jensen to finish and level the score. The 20-year-old playmaker filled positions on both flanks, in the half-spaces as well as in the central areas as he received possession on the right flank to beat his man, hold the ball for a split second before threading a pass to Pinas with a glut of men surrounding him. He then received a pass in between the lines to work a one-touch passing move with Hansen.
Jensen is given freedom in between the lines as when he plays with Brobbey, the striker prefers to take up a deeper-lying position in between the lines to receive possession while the Dane will move into the nine space. When he plays with Unuvar, the young attacker will tuck in from the left flank as Jensen will be primarily positioned in the right half-space as he thrives in connecting with Hansen as both possess highly developed first touches and an innate sense for combination play while the latter prefers to take up central positions, allowing Jensen to move into the wide areas. In the first half against Volendam, he was isolated on the right flank but in the second-half, he began to take deeper positions, especially in the six-space. He switched the ball to the left flank from the six-space as made a run into the half-space to receive possession before driving into the box to have his shot saved.
At home to Telstar, he was involved in a goalscoring move, dropping out of the nine space to receive possession and lay-off to Max De Waal before moving into the wide areas for Regeer to cross for Ar’Jany Martha to head in. De Waal was dropping into the ten space to allow Jensen, Martha and Hassan Bande to make runs ahead of him while the young Dane was also dropping deep to receive possession in the build-up interchanges. The Dane would work a switch ball to Martha who teed up Regeer to send a shot wide as he was then on the end of Youri Baas cross to send a shot straight at the keeper. He then received a pass from De Waal to flick the ball back to Dutchman who had his shot saved for Donny Wamerdam to score the rebound, but it was disallowed for offside.
Away to Jong Utrecht, he began the game by threading a pass in behind for a teammate to square for Kenneth Taylor to tap-in, but Taylor was offside. He then played a deflected pass for Brobbey to score before regaining possession to drive forward and attempt a through ball. He was phenomenal drifting into the ten space to receive possession as Regeer worked a pass for him to switch the ball before the Dane would receive possession in the ten space, drive the ball forward and thread a through ball to Hansen, who was tackled, for the Dane to regain possession, go through on goal and square for a Jong Utrecht defender to tap into his own net.
Away to Jong PSV, he began the game by receiving a pass from Hansen in the right half-space to smash a shot off the underside of the bar. He would connect with Hansen again as he swivelled past his man to find Jensen who threaded a pass to Unuvar in the ten space as he could not work a pass back for Hansen. Jensen would be crucial in receiving the ball in between the lines to work one-touch flicks to teammates as him and Hansen would combine again on the right as the 18-year-old Dutchman laid a pass off to Timber to receive a pass in the wide channel to cut-back for Jensen, moving to the near post, who finished with aplomb. He would also be involved in the second goal after a pass was worked for him in behind for the youngster to have a shot saved before Unuvar scored the rebound.
The 20-year-old Dane manages to consistently use the ball very shrewdly and efficiently in between the lines with little movements into space to lay-off to teammates and connect counters, one touch connections in the final third as well as trying to switch the ball when he sees space in the wide areas. At times, he may not impose himself on games by being isolated in between the lines but has also shown the ability to connect play and assert himself in the build-up phase. He has tremendous speed of thought in receiving the ball to work connections or holding the ball for an extra moment to allow a teammate to move into space or make a run off the ball before playing a pass to him. He can work through balls and switch passes giving him the ability to assist teammates or play the defence splitting pass to create the assist. He thrives in an attacking midfield role but can also be an interior on the right in a 4-3-3 formation as his ability to move into space and connect play could help his team evade pressure and establish themselves in the opposition half.
A loan to Nordsjaelland, a Danish team that has become a hot-bed of young talent in recent years that is developing a close relationship with Ajax could be integral in gauging his promise at a higher level and preparing him for the Eredivisie. It could also put him in good stead going into the U21 European Championships in the summer as a good six months could see him being an option for the Ajax first-team, a loan option for clubs around Europe or the Amsterdammers selling him to a side scouring the market for a bargain. He has emerged as an intelligent and captivating playmaker for Jong Ajax in the Eerste Divisie as he has been worth much more than 4 goals and 1 assist.
