Kasper Dolberg looks to have rediscovered his best form at Ajax. The striker has two goals and two assists from his past two matches, putting himself right back in the fight for the centre-forward spot.
He already seems to have moved ahead of Marcos Leonardo in the pecking order. The Brazilian, signed by technical director Jordi Cruyff for €20 million, was not even used off the bench in the past two matches. That stands out because Leonardo's arrival earlier this summer had almost pushed Dolberg out of Ajax.
"Of course I had doubts," Dolberg told Algemeen Dagblad after the 5-1 win over Willem II. "The club signed two strikers. That made me doubt what was best to do."
Dolberg did not feel forced out, but he knew he had to think carefully about his future. That is why he spoke with coach Míchel Sánchez. "He simply could not give any guarantees," the Dane said. When moves to FC Midtjylland and Lille OSC proved unworkable, Dolberg decided to stay in Amsterdam after all.
"In the end I decided to stay for a reason. Which one? That is not important. The most important thing is that I decided to stay, because I think this is the best place for me. I think I can play a big role. We have a good team and I think we can win everything. And I want to contribute to that and be part of it."
Even with strong competition, Dolberg believes Ajax have a stronger squad than last season. "There are a lot of good signings in it. Players who are at the right age too: experienced, but at the same time hungry to win here. I think there is a lot of quality in the group. I have a very good feeling about that. Of course we still have a lot to prove and improve, but the foundation is definitely there."
He also picked out Julian Brandt and Tolu Arokodare. "This was the first time I played together with Brandt, but I like players like that, who always immediately look for the strikers. We still need to connect more, though. Tolu, on the other hand, is a monster in the box. A specialist when it comes to positioning. We discuss situations from matches. I can still learn quite a lot from him," Dolberg said.