Diego Lainez Club America Liga MXHector Vivas

Osorio: Mexican youngster Lainez a perfect fit for Ajax

Former Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio believes that Diego Lainez would be a perfect fit for Ajax.  

The 18-year-old has been widely linked with a move to the Dutch side in this winter.  

Club American sporting director Santiago Banos even said in December that it was “almost certain” the youngster would be moving on.  

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Osorio has now added his opinion, claiming that Lainez is a great fit for Ajax and is the top prospect in Mexico.  

“I think Diego fits perfectly in Amsterdam,” he told De Telegraaf. “He is currently the greatest talent of Mexico.  

"Diego is a smart player, very skillful, a real left leg, fast with the ball on his foot and very strong in the one-on-one.” 

Lainez would be far from the first Mexican player to make the move to Dutch football.  

El Tri stars Andres Guardado, Hector Moreno, Carlos Salcido, and Hirving Lozano have all played in the Eredivisie over the years, with Erick Gutierrez having also moved to the league last summer.  

Lozano has been among the leading scorers in the league since making the move to PSV in 2017 and is now drawing interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.  

Osorio thinks Lainez could have a similar path to stardom with a move to Amsterdam, and believes it’s a solid step toward Europe’s top leagues for talented youngsters.  

“He has the talent to succeed at Ajax,” he said. “And the past has proven that Latinos can be an added value for the Eredivisie.  

“It is a nice springboard to larger competitions.” 

The Colombian even went so far as to compare Lainez to two Ajax legends.  

“Diego has the speed of Finidi George and Marc Overmars and is a true creator of the game,” Osorio said of the youngster.  

Lainez made his Liga MX debut in March 2017 and earned his first cap for the full national team last September, though he has seen limited time on the pitch at the top level.  

Still, his star showings for El Tri's youth teams at both at both the Concacaf U-20 Championship and in the summer at the Toulon Tournament have been enough to convince teams in Europe of his immense talent.

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