Abdoulaye Camara has yet to find his feet at Ajax. The midfielder, who joined on loan from Udinese last summer, has barely featured for Jong Ajax despite the high expectations that greeted his arrival. Coach Carlos García explains to ESPN why the 18-year-old Frenchman must, for now, settle for a reserve role.
Ajax signed Camara on loan from Udinese last summer and, according to De Telegraaf, also secured an option to buy worth around €14 million. The France youth international came through the academy at Montpellier and had already made his first-team debut for the Italian club. In Amsterdam, they saw him as a modern holding midfielder with plenty of potential.
So far, though, Jong Ajax fans have had little chance to see those qualities. Camara has played just 24 minutes so far across two matches. He came on for seven minutes against Helmond Sport, then got 17 minutes on Friday evening against VVV-Venlo.
García says the lack of minutes is mainly down to adapting to Ajax's style of play. "He comes from Udinese, where they play in a certain way. We have our own system here and he has to get used to what exactly we ask of him," the coach tells ESPN.
"He is doing well in training, but the same applies to other players. We are happy with him and he is now used to the team, the club and his team-mates. It is a process."
For García, the specific demands Ajax place on a defensive midfielder are one key area of focus. "In our style of play, the number six is very important in possession. He is good in other aspects of the game, but he still has to learn how to play his way free and recognise when he is the free man," the coach explains. "We are working on that with him individually, both on the pitch and through video footage. It is only a matter of time before he masters that."
Upon his arrival at Ajax, Camara drew comparisons, because of his physical qualities, with big names such as Patrick Vieira, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni. He also regularly wore the captain's armband for the French youth sides and Udinese Primavera. García, however, does not want to comment on how far the 18-year-old midfielder can ultimately go. "That is difficult to predict with young players. They can change from one week to the next, also because there is a lot going on mentally."
"I can't say where his ceiling lies, but he has very good qualities. He is a great lad, is well liked in the dressing room, helps others, works hard and is modest. I can't say anything negative about him."