The gifted Ajax kid being called the 'new Zlatan'
Kaspar Dolberg is tall, skilful, fast and blessed with a powerful right foot. Whether his manager likes it or not, the freakishly talented Ajax striker is being compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ajax’s never-ending production line of talent has produced some of the world’s best centre forwards with the likes of Luis Suarez, Marco Van Basten and Zlatan Ibrahimovic cutting their teeth at the Amsterdam Arena.
Fans are hoping the club has unearthed another one.
Now, on the eve of a match that most of Europe will be watching, Ajax manager Peter Bosz has cautioned not to compare boom 19 year-old forward Kaspar Dolberg with Zlatan. The problem for Bosz though, is that its almost impossible to watch Dolberg's highlight reel and not be reminded of those sepia-toned youtube clips of a lanky young Ibrahimovic destroying opponents while he came of age at Ajax.
Like Ibra, Dolberg is tall, skilful, strong and blessed with a keen eye for the space either side of the keeper. with a shock of blonde hair, he seems to relish terrorising defenders with surging runs, splashes of intricate skill and a ferocious shot.
A starring display against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final could catch the eye of Europe’s biggest clubs as the winter transfer window slides open.
Like Dolberg, Zlatan faced a similarly defining moment in 2004, and took it with both hands, scoring one of the greatest goals of all-time against Breda, which prompted a big-money move to Juventus eight days later.
His manager might not be a fan of the Zlatan talk, but if Dolberg lights up the Red Devils on European club football's second biggest stage tomorrow, his status as the Swede's heir apparent will only be enhanced.