Ajax midfielder Sean Steur has emerged as one of the most coveted teenage talents in European football.
The 2008-born holding midfielder has been part of Ajax’s academy since 2016 and only broke into the senior setup this season, but he has made the transition look anything but difficult.
He played in De Klassieker against Feyenoord as though he had been a fixture in Ajax’s midfield for years, and has since added three Champions League appearances to his name, picking up an assist along the way.
He is two-footed, comfortable receiving under pressure, and already being mentioned in the same breath as AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit, widely regarded as one of Eredivisie’s finest young prospects.
Recent reports indicate that Chelsea’s BlueCo network and City Group have been the most active in monitoring the teenager, though Spurs and Newcastle have also made checks. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have reportedly also sent scouts to Ajax games recently.
Ajax, for their part, secured Steur’s future last August, handing him a contract extension until 2028. But with the calibre of clubs now watching, that deal offers only so much protection.
The Eredivisie club have been here before with the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, and they know how a bidding war can form around a player of this profile.
Steur comes from a footballing family. His brother Roy is a goalkeeper at FC Volendam, and their father Johan also played the game.
