First he wanted to cancel his move, then he was injured or tired, he didn’t score a single goal: Brian Brobbey’s commitment to RB Leipzig degenerated into a major misunderstanding. Now the once highly traded 19-year-old storm talent is about to return to his ex-club Ajax Amsterdam.
Brian Brobbey only started once in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, at the end of November against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He was allowed to play for 43 minutes before he had to give way to Dominik Szoboszlai when the score was 2-0. It wasn’t much playing time, but at least it was more than the coach at the time, Jesse Marsch, had actually intended.
“The plan was to make the change earlier, but it took a while for Dominik to warm up,” explained Marsch, who was in corona quarantine at the time. “It’s difficult from home. I also had a bit of a lag compared to the live game.” Brobbey did not use the delay for self-promotion either. After the game, Marsch’s representative Achim Beierlorzer said that the striker was “very tired”.
This episode is an example of Brobbey’s completely unsuccessful time in Leipzig. During the winter break, the misunderstanding should end for the time being, according to reports he is about to return to his youth club Ajax Amsterdam. He started there at the age of eight, and later the beefy striker made himself interesting across Europe during his first professional appearances for Ajax.
Ajax trainer Erik ten Hag has already spoken out in public for a return campaign – and consultant Mino Raiola also suggested it to his client. “Ajax really shows that they want him back. The feeling is good. He has to play as much as possible and he’s a bit lost in Leipzig at the moment,” said Raiola at the Dutch broadcaster NOS. The newspaper NRC he said: “Of course I feel responsible for his situation. But I’m man enough to say that I think it is best if he goes back to Ajax now.”
Door, table, transfer market: Mino Raiola’s career beginnings in Haarlem
Brian Brobbeys provocative statements before the Leipzig change
Brobbey’s commitment to Leipzig was doomed to failure from the start. After rejecting a contract extension at Ajax for financial reasons, he signed with Leipzig on a free transfer until 2025 – in the belief that he would be coached by Julian Nagelsmann in the future. A “young and very good coach, from whom I can still learn a lot,” as Brobbey raved. Nagelsmann flattered the Dutch national striker Brobbey by comparing him with Romelu Lukaku, who is currently one of the world’s best strikers, “in terms of stature and manner.”
But then Nagelsmann moved to Bayern Munich, whereupon Brobbey wanted to cancel his contract with Leipzig immediately. “I would think that’s good, yes. I spoke to Marc (Overmars, Ajax sports director) who is working on it,” said Ajax coach ten Hag at the time Voetbal International. Unsurprisingly, Leipzig did not just give up the talent, who had been signed up for free.
Brobbey’s anticipation of the foreign adventure then suddenly subsided, as some provocative statements made quite clearly. “I don’t have an apartment yet, I haven’t started German lessons yet. I still have to get to know the players and I haven’t followed the Bundesliga in the past few weeks. I hardly ever watch this competition,” he said a few days before he started work in Leipzig the magazine ELFvoetball.
Brian Brobbey’s starting position was actually promising
Brobbey then missed a large part of the preparation because of a torn muscle fiber. After a few short missions, he suffered another muscle injury in October, after which he was out for almost a month. This was followed by the Leverkusen episode and a few other short assignments. Brobbey didn’t work and his team didn’t work either, failed in the Champions League and was somewhere in the middle of the table in the Bundesliga. The change of coach from Marsch to Domenico Tedesco did not ensure a lasting change.
Brobbey completed a total of 252 minutes of competitive play for Leipzig, he didn’t hit any goals. His starting position was actually promising. Since Timo Werner left for Chelsea in summer 2020, Leipzig has been looking for a new regular striker. Last season, Alexander Sörloth, who is currently on loan at Real Sociedad San Sebastian, missed this chance (21 games, 4 goals). In the current one, Brobbey stumbles the most of all candidates, but his competitors Andre Silva (25, 8) and Yussuf Poulsen (14, 4) did not make a lasting recommendation either.
At Ajax, Brian Brobbey would be asked for immediate help
Just like Sörloth, Brobbey will now also be awarded, according to reports, Ajax should not have a purchase option. Brobbey is initially needed as emergency aid anyway. The regular striker in the 4-3-3 system is Sebastien Haller, who scores almost one goal per game (23, 20). Because of his participation in the Africa Cup (January 9th to February 6th) with the Ivory Coast, he will be absent from his team for a few weeks. Ajax have some excellent outside players with Dusan Tadic, Antony, David Neres and Steven Berghuis, but no established substitute for Haller.
“The chances of a great career are greatest when he chooses Ajax,” said ten Hag – but before Brobbey’s failed move to Leipzig. And then his coach then and possibly future said: “In my opinion, he still has something to prove at Ajax.”
