Julian Brandt has always carried a goal threat. In the Bundesliga, though, the former Dortmund and Leverkusen player made his name as a provider, threading killer passes through to his strikers.
At Ajax Amsterdam, the numbers from Brandt's first season tell a different story. The 30-year-old has scored eight times in 15 appearances across all competitions, yet has not registered an assist in 2026/27.
Part of his scoring surge surely reflects the lower standard in the Eredivisie and Conference League compared with the Bundesliga and Champions League. But why has the creative midfielder, who plays as the most advanced of Ajax's three midfielders in their customary 4-3-3, not set up a single goal? Has he become more of a goalscorer than a provider?
Julian Brandt still without an assist for Ajax: the simple explanation
No. Brandt still creates chances for his team-mates in front of goal at Ajax. They just haven't turned his passes into goals.
Marcos Leonardo, signed from Al-Hilal in the summer for just under €20 million amid great expectations, is the prime example. Brandt has repeatedly put the Brazilian through one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper, but Leonardo has failed to take those big chances. He is not alone: Ajax need too many opportunities to score and are nowhere near clinical enough.
Getty ImagesWith sharper finishing from his team-mates, Brandt would surely have an assist or two by now. On matchday eight, for example, the 48-cap Germany international created no fewer than eight chances in the 1-1 draw against NEC Nijmegen, more than the rest of the Ajax side combined, who managed just five. He has also been by far his team's best chance creator in the Eredivisie so far.
Julian Brandt has even won over Rafael van der Vaart
Those assists should come. Brandt, who joined the Dutch club in the summer after Borussia Dortmund did not offer him a new contract, has already settled in superbly at Ajax. He scores, directs play and thrills the fans with technical brilliance and several spectacular goals.
Even his chief critic Rafael van der Vaart has changed his mind about Brandt, having been sceptical of him at first. The club legend now hails the German newcomer as "Ajax's best player", though Brandt is not particularly interested: "Last time, when he said something different, I was confronted with that a lot too. I don't know, I'm always like: 'Just leave me alone with that rubbish,'" Brandt said on the 'Spielmacher' podcast.
Brandt is also more than happy with his choice of club. "For me, the question this summer was: where am I best off? And is this the best club now, compared with other top leagues in Europe? Others can judge that. But it's the best for me, compared with the other options I would have had. So, for me, it remains the right decision," Brandt said.
Before that, Brandt was without a club for around a month. "I made the decision a little late, logically, because sometimes you wait to see how a few things develop, but I made it wholeheartedly," he added.