A number of new Netherlands stars such as Vincent Janssen and Timothy Fosu-Mensah have emerged over the past few months, but below are four young Dutch talents who haven’t progressed as expected this season.

  • By Michael Bell
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memphis man uttMemphis Depay

So much was expected of the winger when he signed for Manchester United in the summer, after guiding PSV Eindhoven to the title last season. He was seen as Netherlands biggest talent and even gained comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Memphis has been a massive disappointment for Red Devil fans in his first season in England.

In 24 Premier League appearances, mostly coming from the bench, Memphis has only netted twice and added a solitary assist. He has only played a total of 43 minutes in Manchester United’s last six matches, and there seems to be no sign of Memphis forcing his way into Louis van Gaal’s plans before the end of the campaign.

When Memphis has been able to get on the pitch this season he has often been criticised by Manchester United fans for his lack of effort, greed and concentration, which has seen the winger lose possession around his own box on several occasions throughout the season.

Its only in Europe, against Club Brugge and Midtjylland, that Memphis has shown his true capabilities and fans must be wondering if he will ever adapt to the Premier League.

maher psv adAdam  Maher

In the summer of 2013, Adam Maher was the most sought after talent in the Eredivisie, and PSV thought they had hit the jackpot when they sealed his signing for £6 million. After a disappointing first season in Eindhoven, Maher looked excellent at times in PSV’s title-winning campaign last year, scoring seven goals and adding five assists in 31 league games.

This season was seen as make or break for the midfielder, and sadly it has gone wrong for the now 22-year-old. With his place in the first team lost to Davy Propper, and the arrival of Marco van Ginkel in January, Maher has only made 13 league appearances for PSV all season, completing a full game only twice.

With his place on the bench not secure at the moment Maher has been forced to drop down to the reserves recently in search of action, playing six full games in the Eerste Divisie for Jong PSV.

With PSV pursuing an extension of van Ginkel’s loan, it seems likely that Maher’s time at PSV is coming to an end this summer and it’s crucial that the five-time Dutch international makes the right move to regain his reputation as one of Europe’s most promising midfielders.

sinkDaley Sinkgraven

In January 2015, Ajax forked out £5.5 million to sign the young versatile midfielder from Heerenveen after he shone in the first half of the season. The first six months in Amsterdam saw Sinkgraven adapt to his new surroundings and he hoped that this season would see him confirm his place in the first team.

However, Sinkgraven struggled to maintain his place at the beginning of the season as Frank de Boer preferred Davy Klaassen, Riechedly Bazoer, and Nemanja Gudelj in the centre of midfield while two separate injuries have limited his playing time.

Since returning from a foot injury in early March, Sinkgraven has only played 28 minutes in the Eredivisie but showed what he is capable of with an excellent goal for Jong Ajax against Sparta Rotterdam in the Eerste Divisie.

The midfielder will be hoping to play some part in the first team before the end of this campaign as Ajax chase the title, and will hope to get his chance as a regular next season, which could happen if Lasse Schone and Davy Klaassen depart.

boetius baselJean-Paul Boetius

It’s easy to forget that Boetius broke out in the Eredivisie at the same time as Memphis Depay, with many experts believing that he was the bigger talent and that Feyenoord had a real gem on their hands.

However, Boetius suffered from a lack of confidence last season, lost his place to Elvis Manu in Feyenoord’s side, and eventually moved to Basel in the summer as he looked to regain his form and reputation.

Unfortunately, injuries have ruined Boetius first season in Switzerland, with ankle, thigh and hip issues forcing the winger out of most of the season. The 22-year-old has only managed to make seven league appearances for Basel, with only two of those seeing Boetius complete the full game.

The past eight months have been a write off for the winger, and he will hope to stay injury free in the summer in order to make a real impression next season.




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