Justin Kluivert looks to be one of the rising talents of world football. The teenage Dutchman will look to continue to grow as a player with the Giallorossi this season, after displaying his talents in the Dutch Eredevisie over the last 18 months. Kluivert was one of the early purchases of Monchi’s busy mercato, arriving from Ajax for an initial fee of €17.25 million. If he lives up to the billing that price tag could look like a steal in the near future.

Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

Number Four: Justin Kluivert

Age: 19

Position: Winger

Current Club: AS Roma

Previous Club: Ajax

Rank Last Year: N/A

Future Comparison: Eden Hazard

Who is He?

Kluivert. The name probably sounds familiar. Justin is the son of former Dutch great Patrick, who starred for Barcelona among others on his way to becoming the fourth leading scorer in Dutch National Team History. Justin, like his father, came through the Ajax youth system, making his first team debut in January 2017 at just 17 years old. The younger Kluivert has represented Holland at various youth levels and made his senior National team debut in March at just 18 years old.

What Can He Do?

Kluivert is a winger who mainly lined up on the left during his Ajax days but can also play on the right (as seen in the ICC with Roma). He isn’t a tall player at just 5’7”, however Kluivert possesses good pace. Kluivert loves to take opponents on with his great dribbling ability in a very direct attacking style. He can use both feet well and can be very tricky for opponents to contain when in possession.

Kluivert is also a good passer and links up well with his teammates. This is indicated by his 86.7% passing rate in the Eredivisie last season (whoscored). He plays quick, short passes and uses one-twos to open up space for himself and teammates. He will also try and pick out his teammates making runs into the box when out on the wing.

While his greatest strength is probably taking on opponents, Kluivert can also finish off a play on his own. He can shoot with both feet, and scored 10 league goals for Ajax in 27 appearances last season. Kluivert can be seen scoring a few nice goals with his right foot from outside the box when cutting in from the left wing in the video.

Lastly, Kluivert has shown the desire to work back on defensive and will put in a tough tackle from time to time, something not often seen with young wingers.

What Can He Become?

From all indications, it looks like Kluivert can become a true star just like his father. How long he stars at Roma will be something to keep an eye on. Kluivert has already made it clear that his dream is to one day play at Barcelona. If he continues to develop at the rate he did at Ajax while playing for Roma, then that dream will most likely become a reality at some point. In all likelihood, this deal was made knowing that Kluivert won’t be sticking around forever. However, Roma will be hoping that they can get a few great seasons out of Kluivert before he’s ready to move on and follow in his father’s footsteps.