The Dutch league is known as a stepping-stone for young players who aim to try themselves out on the highest level, in one of Europe’s top divisions. Just in the last two years, generational talents like Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Steven Bergwijn and Hakim Ziyech took their steps forward and joined the most elite clubs in the world, in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. All of them are still at the earlier stages of their careers, with loads of potential to approach the greatest players to play the game.
What is also common in these players is the size of their price tags: they changed clubs for a total of 230.5 million euros, according to the reports – and the trend does not seem to end anytime soon, with Donny van de Beek (current market value: 44 million EUR), Donyell Malen (25 million EUR) and Myron Boadu (18 million EUR) all destined to join top Champions League clubs in the near future.
A player’s market value is affected by several aspects; general attributes, overall potential or, in the 21st century, personal brand value – however, performance is still the core element of the calculation. Obviously, there is a direct correlation between performance and market value, In this data analysis, we will investigate those Eredivisie players who seem to be the ‘best value for money’ at the time of speaking, based on their 2019/20 league performance.
Methodology
As mentioned, market value is an outcome of various factors, many of which are not measurable by numbers. To provide the most realistic results, we will build our analysis solely on data, and judge the ‘candidates’ based on their statistics from the season behind us. Considering that we would like to shed a light on high-performing players with a fair price tag, we will concentrate only on those with a market value of between 1 and 15 million euros, with a maximum of 29 years of age at the time of speaking, and with at least 600 minutes played in the 2019/20 campaign. From the list, we excluded those players whose contracts expire in 2020 and have already signed a new contract with a club outside the Eredivisie.
So that the figures are objective and comparable, we will divide the players by their positions – goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and attackers – and compare their most important defensive, offensive and passing statistics. For this, we will build upon the following elements of performance (per 90 minutes):
Goalkeepers:
- Successful defensive duels;
- Successful aerial duels;
- Interceptions;
- Accurate passes;
- Accurate progressive passes;
- Goals conceded;
- Clean sheets;
- Save percentage;
- Successful punches;
- Successful claims.
Defenders:
- Successful defensive actions;
- Successful defensive duels;
- Successful aerial duels;
- Successful offensive duels;
- Successful sliding tackles;
- Shots blocked;
- Interceptions;
- Progressive runs;
- Accurate passes;
- Accurate progressive passes.
Midfielders:
- Successful defensive duels;
- Successful aerial duels;
- Successful offensive duels;
- Interceptions;
- Expected goal contributions;
- Shots on target;
- Successful dribbles;
- Progressive runs;
- Accurate passes;
- Accurate progressive passes.
Attackers:
- Goal contributions
- Expected goal contributions;
- Successful defensive duels;
- Successful aerial duels;
- Successful offensive duels;
- Interceptions;
- Shots on target;
- Successful dribbles;
- Touches in the box;
- Progressive runs;
- Accurate passes;
- Accurate progressive passes.
Goalkeepers
AZ Alkmaar’s 2019/20 Eredivisie campaign was one for the history books: they finished level on points with Ajax, coming second only with a worse goal difference but conceding the fewest goals in the league (17). The core element of this performance was Marco Bizot, who had an outstanding figure of 17 clean sheets (0.7 per 90 minutes) and conceded only 0.45 goals per 90. With these numbers, he was around twice as effective as any of his counterparts.
In the above chart, we can see the keepers’ performances in duels, punches and claims. In this regard, Feyenoord youngster Justin Bijlow had the overall best figures, with 13.5 successful defensive duels, 1.07 successful aerial duels, 0.27 successful punches and 1.34 claims, all per 90 minutes. These statistics show perfectly what a balanced, well-rounded and consistent player Bijlow is between the sticks.
Sergio Padt comes out on top when we compare the goalies based on their passing performance. The Groningen keeper had 21.22 accurate passes per 90, from which 6.48 were progressive ones, which means a 30.54% rate – in this, Timon Wellenreuther (43.22%) and Alexei Koselev (41.19%) were both better than the Padt, indicating that they were the ones who tried to break the lines the most and find teammates higher up the pitch. Of course, the length of the passes is closely related to the playing style of the given team, and, therefore, do not necessarily mean that a goalkeeper performs better than the other.
Defenders
Moving over to defenders, we will not separate these players depending on which area of the pitch they play but we will compare them by elements of the game that are crucial for both the full-backs and the centre-backs.
In the first graph, we can see how efficient the defenders were in duels, either in the air or on the ground. Ajax’s Edson Álvarez was the most balanced and best-performing player with 3.23 successful aerial duels and 7.01 successful defensive duels per 90. His teammate Joel Veltman was on par with Álvarez in the air (3.29 per 90) while Feyenoord duo Lutsharel Geertruida and Marcos Senesi were among the best in defensive duels, with 7.20 and 6.73 respectively.
Apart from duels, there are three other significant statistics that define the performances of defenders: interceptions (possession-adjusted), shots blocked and sliding tackles. Ajax dominates again: Perr Schuurs leads the way with 9.72 interceptions per 90 minutes, slightly ahead of Joel Veltman who finished with 9.31. In the two other statistics, Edson Álvarez is dominating again, with 0.75 shots blocked and 1.55 successful sliding tackles per 90. However, Willem II’s Sebastian Holmén also deserves recognition for his 0.97 shots blocked on average.
Needless to say that great passing skills are also a must for defenders in modern football. In accurate passes, Pantelis Chatzidiakos leaves everyone else behind him, with a convincing figure of 70.63 per 90. He is also at the top of the list in accurate progressive passes, with 12.95, 18.34% of his total. With these outstanding numbers, the AZ Alkmaar centre back passed by Ajax trio Joel Veltman (63.60 accurate passes per 90), Edson Álvarez (56.02) and Perr Schuurs (54.30).
Similarly to being reliable in passing, defenders also have to contribute to the attacking actions as much as possible. Ridgeciano Haps had no contender in successful offensive duels: he managed to dribble or drive the ball past his opponent in 4.67 occasions per 90 minutes – second-best Tyrell Malacia showed up 1.22 fewer in average than his Feyenoord teammate. However, Malacia was much better in progressive runs: his 2.28 per 90 was the third-best figure in the league, only behind Perr Schuurs (2.41) and Venlo’s Tobias Pachonik (2.35).
Midfielders
In the case of midfielders, let’s start with the defending performance again. Pol Llonch sticks out from the rest, mainly thanks to his 8.12 successful defensive duels per 90 minutes, a figure that is even 0.92 higher than what we have seen among the defenders. Llonch can also show up 7.48 interceptions per 90, topped by Vitesse’s Matus Bero (8.59) and Heracles’ Orestis Kiomourtzoglou (10.46) – this latter figure also being a huge record.
In accurate passes, AZ Alkmaar’s experienced Jordy Clasie comes out on top with 61.10 per 90 minutes, closely followed by Érick Gutiérrez from PSV (56.99) and Adam Maher from Utrecht (55.94). Interestingly, two of these players are among the best progressive passers too: Maher leads the way with a figure of 11.25, while Clasie finishes in the third spot with 9.21 on average. Between them, there is Heerenveen’s Hicham Faik, who has 9.42 accurate progressive numbers next to his name.
Finally, let’s take a look at the offensive performances of the midfielders. Pelle Clement from Zwolle had the most progressive runs, with 2.48 per 90, while Mark Diemers from Sittard won the most offensive duels on average, with a figure of 5.47. Diemers was also very effective in shooting (0.90 shots on target per 90) and only Feyenoord prospect Orkun Kökcü topped him with his figure of 0.95.
The most visible and direct way of measuring the attacking performance is adding up the players’ expected assists and goals, on a 90-minute basis. In this comparison, Mauro Júnior was the most active midfielder with 0.25 expected goals and 0.19 expected assists, adding up to a total of 0.44 goal contributions per 90. The 0.40 figure of the already mentioned Mark Diemers is another excellent performance from Sittard.
Attackers
While wingers and strikers generally have less defensive responsibility than their teammates, they are required to contribute to this part of the tactics as much as possible. In the above graph, it is interesting to see that one of the league’s most proactive attackers in front of the opponent’s goal, Steven Berghuis, leads the way with 6.83 successful defensive duels per 90 minutes. However, this performance is paired with only 1.66 interceptions, in which Sam Larsson (4.45), Cody Gakpo (4.35) and Luis Sinisterra (3.83) came out on top.
In passing statistics, Steven Berghuis is the absolute winner again, with 38.58 accurate passes and 8.42 accurate progressive passes, resulting in a 21.83% ratio which is only topped by Gyrano Kerk’s 22.39%. We also have to mention that AZ’s Oussama Idrissi was not far behind Berghuis in passing performance (second-best with 38.43 passes and 6.17 progressive passes), and both wingers also had a wonderful season behind themselves.
As we can see in the above chart, Oussama Idrissi was miles ahead from the rest in direct attacking figures, namely progressive runs (5.52 per 90) and successful offensive duels (8.14 per 90). The Moroccan was also by far the most effective dribbler of the season, with an average of 5.73 successful attempts per 90 minutes, 1.46 more than the second-best, Chidera Ejuke.
The already praised Steven Berghuis come out on top once again in shooting statistics, with 1.77 shots on target per 90, closely followed by Cyriel Dessers (1.64) – the latter also finished second in touches in the box with 5.72, only behind Feyenoord target man Nicolai Jorgensen (6.35).
The final chart illustrates the forwards’ efficiency in front of the goal. For this, we added up the total expected assists and goals of the players and looked at the figure the attackers had in every 90 minutes. In this regard, Feyenoord winger Steven Berghuis is the winner again with 0.85 goal contributions per 90, followed by PSV youngster Cody Gakpo (0.76) and the prolific Cyriel Dessers from Heracles (0.73). Berghuis and Dessers finished at the top of the goal-scoring table with 15-15 goals, also showing their worth with 7 and 5 assists respectively.
Conclusion
The main goal of this data analysis was to outline that transfer markets are not all about the high-priced assets – on the contrary, the greatest achievement is always to sign somebody with immense value for a reasonable price. This is highlighted even more in the cases of smaller clubs with clearly less desirable financial possibilities: for them, strengthening the squad with decent players while keeping a strict eye on the budget is not just a matter of business but a question of sustainable operation. In the following list, we will summarise the shortlist of the players who have the most to offer compared to their current price tags.
Justin Bijlow (GK, Feyenoord, 22, 4.5m EUR): Marco Bizot had an outstanding season with AZ Alkmaar, but his overall performance, age and therefore his potential make Bijlow the best-value goalkeeper of the Eredivisie. The fact that the 22-year-old had the most punches, claims and aerial duels in the league makes him a strong candidate to become the first-choice goalie of Feyenoord from next season – and he has a very good chance of representing his country in next year’s European Championship as well.
Deyovaisio Zeefuik (RB, Groningen, 22, 2.7m EUR): The former Ajax academy player had a glorious campaign. Even though Groningen could not reach one of the European spots when the season was finally finished, they only conceded 26 goals on 26 games, fewer than the 6 teams ahead of them. In this achievement, Zeefuik’s performance was vital, appearing in the starting eleven in all 26 times and spending 98% of the possible minutes on the pitch. The young Dutchman – as a modern full-back – is most dangerous in the attacking phases of the game but does not tend to forget about his defensive duties. He is an exciting player for only 2.7 million euros.
Edson Álvarez (CB, Ajax, 22, 8m EUR): Even though the Mexican’s debut season did not go completely as he (and the fans) might have expected, the figures indicate that there is still a lot of value and potential in Álvarez. His hectic performance were mainly down to the fact that, from his 12 appearances in the Eredivisie, he was used as a defensive midfielder in 9 cases. It will be interesting to see whether he will get more opportunity in the heart of the defence, where his original position is.
Pantelis Chatzidiakos (CB, AZ, 23, 1m EUR): We have seen that the Greek is in the league’s elite when it comes to breaking the lines and supporting the offensive actions from the defence. Coming from the prosperous AZ Alkmaar academy, his confidence with his feet is not a coincidence. No question that based on his potential, Chatzidiakos should be on the lists of scouts all around Europe – even if the youngster’s agent is a certain Mino Raiola. The only reason to worry is a serious ligament injury that left the defender sidelined for an unknown time.
Tyrell Malacia (LB, Feyenoord, 20, 3.2m EUR): This 20-year-old full-back, with 1147 minutes, is the bronze medalist of the Dutch first tier, and would be worth watching regardless of his data. If we take a look at his statistics, Malacia becomes an even more exciting asset: a league top-three performance in offensive duels and progressive runs indicates how much attacking potential the young Dutchman has. He offers tremendous value for a current price tag of 3.2 million euros.
Pol Llonch (DM, Willem II, 27, 1.7m EUR): An underrated midfielder whose work ethics and attitude add a lot to the team he represents. Winning by far the most defensive duels makes the Spaniard a very valuable player, not only in Willem II but in the whole Eredivisie. Although he is not at the beginning of his career, it is undeniable that Llonch’s performance and potential are not on par with his current price tag, therefore he would certainly be a great transfer.
Mark Diemers (AM, Sittard, 26, 1.6m EUR): Probably the most surprising name on the list, Diemers had some excellent figures in the previous campaign, mainly in offensive duels, shots on target and goal contributions. In his 2501 minutes (he was 100% in the starting eleven and spent 99% of all possible minutes on the pitch), Diemers scored 7 goals and assisted another 6, helping Sittard finish confidently above the relegation line (even if eventually none of the teams was relegated, due to the current world situation and the league being ended prematurely). Diemers has significant value for his current 1.6 million EUR price tag.
Mauro Júnior (AM, PSV Eindhoven, 21, 2.3m EUR): Enjoying a loan spell at Heracles in the season behind us, the Brazilian youngster will return to Eindhoven with a boost of confidence, and the will to show his worth in a title-contender club. Unfortunately for him, in Mohammed Ihattaren, there is another young attacking midfielder ahead of him in the pecking order, but Júnior’s current 2.3 million price tag definitely makes him one of the assets with the best price-value ratio in the league.
Steven Berghuis (RW, Feyenoord, 28, 11m EUR): What we have seen in this analysis – 22 goal contributions in 24 matches, and several league-best figures – just does not allow us to leave Berghuis out of this list. Some would say that 11 million EUR seems a bit too much for a 28-year-old, but the statistics suggest otherwise. We also have to take into account that this was not the first outstanding season for the Dutchman, who is also a regular in the national team. Any team who would pay for the experienced winger would certainly add a lot of value to the squad.
Cyriel Dessers (CF, Heracles, 25, 3.2m EUR): If we took only the 2019/20 campaign, we could most probably say that Dessers is the best-value player of the league. A strong, consistent and prolific striker, who has just started to reach his peak, with 20 goal contributions in 26 games, for only 3.2 million euros – it seems like a bargain. Although it might be wise to wait and watch his performances in another season, his reasonable price tag suggests that this risk is worth taking by a bigger club.
Ousamma Idrissi (LW, AZ, 24, 12m EUR): Again, some would argue that a 12 million EUR price tag is too high for a player to be included in this best value player list – however, Idrissi’s performances indicate that his real value is much higher than his market value. He is a very direct, quick and creative winger, who helped AZ tremendously in their historical achievement in the season behind us, and being only 24 years of age, the Moroccan could easily be in an elite league soon.
