In just ten matches for Ajax Amsterdam, Julian Brandt has already found the net five times. The former Dortmund player has made a flying start at his new club and has his manager raving about him.
In terms of footballing ability, Julian Brandt has always been beyond reproach – it was only in terms of consistency that the skilful player could never quite meet the highest standards. A situation that now seems to be changing once again in the autumn of his career. The 30-year-old has been under contract with Ajax Amsterdam since July 2026. And he has made a start that has delighted more than just the fans of this historic club. “He is an incredible footballer. He thinks extremely quickly and finds solutions on the pitch in a flash,” said Ajax manager Miguel Angel Sanchez Munoz after his team had swept aside Willem II Tilburg 5–1 on Tuesday evening – their second 5–1 league win in the space of a few days.
In both 5–1 victories, Brandt stepped into the spotlight as a goalscorer. It’s no coincidence that his coach describes him as an “outstanding finisher”. In his ten appearances for Ajax so far, Brandt has already scored five goals. Initially, the attacking midfielder was used as a substitute, but since mid-August he has been an undisputed first-team regular. And Sanchez Munoz no longer wants to be without him: “It’s certainly no coincidence that the players around him are playing better. He makes the whole team better and gives it a new dynamic.”
Not the first German to rediscover his form in the Eredivisie
Alongside Marc ter Stegen – who was on the bench against Willem II to ensure he was fully rested for the upcoming international fixtures – Brandt appears to be rediscovering his former form in Amsterdam. And the pair are not the first former top German players to have regained their form via a spell in the Eredivisie. From 2020 to 2022, for example, Mario Götze played for PSV Eindhoven, making a total of 47 league appearances (9 goals) and even managed to secure a place in the squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In Brandt’s case, such a path still seems a long way off at present, but at the very least his club manager would probably urge Germany manager Jürgen Klopp to give the former Dortmund player another thought in future. Brandt is said to be particularly good in “tight spaces” and “mentally” he can “bring about a change in the team’s attitude”. If Brandt continues in this vein at Ajax, it could spell a late turnaround in his career. For the Dortmund player, once known for his fair-weather football, is currently turning into a “great goalscorer” in Amsterdam.
