Football League World
·15 July 2024
Derby County will hope to avoid past disappointment with £600k signing: View
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Football League World
·15 July 2024
The 22-year-old looks set to be a fantastic bit of business by the Rams, but a dire history with Dutch players may bring worry.
Derby County announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Kenzo Goudmijn on Wednesday but may have a slight fear that he follows in the path of recent Rams players from the Netherlands.
Goudmijn, 22, has joined Derby on a four-year deal, with reports suggesting that Paul Warne's side paid a fee of £600,000 to AZ Alkmaar to secure their fifth signing of the summer - with Ben Osborn, Jerry Yates and Kayden Jackson all joining in the last few weeks, while Corey Blackett-Taylor's loan move turned permanent at the start of the summer.
The 22-year-old had first been linked with a move to England at the end of June by AZAlerts and looks an exciting prospect for the Rams who travel to Spain for a pre-season friendly against League One side Stockport County on Friday 19 July, as well as a training camp throughout the week.
This time away will give Goudmijn ample time to fit in with his new teammates, as Derby embark on their first Championship season in two years, starting off their campaign away at Blackburn Rovers.
However, the East Midlands-based team may have some worries that the Dutchman could struggle to hit the ground running like Mike te Wierik and Florian Jozefzoon in years prior.
Despite the hype that follows Goudmijn, the Rams have suffered failures with their last two players from the Netherlands, with te Wierik joining the club in 2020, while Jozefzoon made the switch from Brentford in 2018 under Frank Lampard's tenure.
Te Wierik made the move to Derby on a pre-contractual agreement in February 2020, ahead of the 2020/21 season, with manager Philip Cocu hoping that the centre-back's physically could help the team's play-off push for the new campaign.
Although he featured in the opening two games of the season, against Barrow in the EFL Cup and Reading in the league, it was clear that te Wierik could not keep up with the speed of Championship football, as Derby failed to live up to expectations.
The then 28-year-old was sent off in just his third game for the club, in an EFL Cup second round game against Preston North End. He was suspended for the next game against Luton Town and played just three more times before he was told to move on in January 2021.
Meanwhile, Jozefzoon, who had experience already in the second tier of English football, was overshadowed by Derby's other wingers during his time at the club.
Harry Wilson, Tom Lawrence and Duane Holmes all out-shone the current Bandirmaspor man, and he was sent out on loan to Rotherham United during his third season at Pride Park.
He is perhaps best remembered for his part in the Rams' comeback against Norwich City in December 2018, when Lampard's side came from behind to win 4–3 thanks to a Jack Marriott injury-time winner, with Jozefzoon's equaliser his final goal in black-and-white, two and a half years before his eventual departure.
The Dutch winger failed to reach the numbers that would merit his £2.75 million fee, and under Cocu found himself isolated, playing just 14 times in the 2019/20 season, ending with his loan to the Millers and then sale to Quevilly Rouen Metropole.
Contrary to the Rams' recent past with the Netherlands, Goudmijn possesses the quality to become a real star at Pride Park.
He shone in a poor Excelsior Rotterdam team, and played a key part in their relegation play-off campaign, scoring against Ado Den Haag, while also picking up two assists in the first stage. However, a poor defensive record came back to haunt his side as they were beaten 7-6 on aggregate by NAC Breda in the final.
In his first interview with RamsTV, Derby's in-house media, the 22-year-old explained his preferred way of playing: "I'm a midfielder, I think I'm very good on the ball and technical.
"I can pass the ball really well, and also dribble good [sic]. I'm very passionate and don't like to lose.
"I like to create chances. If it's not for myself, then for my teammates."
Goudmijn completed 49 dribbles in the Eredivisie last season, the most of anyone in his position, a welcome attribute to Warne, who wants his players to run at defenders.
With Ebou Adams looking set to join Derby in the coming days or weeks, as per BBC Sport, the Rams' midfield is starting to take shape, with potentially promising results.