Amsterdam is looking back at Mika Godts’ summer departure with increasing unease, as the €45 million move from Ajax to Paris Saint-Germain has left both player and former club struggling to find momentum.
The Dutch international has yet to establish himself under Luis Enrique in Paris, while Ajax, now without Godts, are enduring a difficult spell under Michel. In the Netherlands, the separation is being portrayed as damaging for both sides rather than a transfer that has lifted either forward.
A costly split without a clear winner
Godts left Ajax for PSG during the summer window in a deal worth €45 million, but his opportunities under the Spanish coach have been limited. Back in Amsterdam, Michel’s Ajax have also been unable to maintain a strong run of form following the winger’s exit.
The situation has prompted criticism of both Spanish managers, with the suggestion that neither has found the right environment for the player or the club.
Commentator Nico Dijkshoorn compared Godts’ switch to an unlikely career leap, likening it to a writer from an automobile magazine being invited to produce a weekly column for The New York Times.
Calls for a return to Amsterdam
Dijkshoorn described Ajax and Godts as “twins who have been separated”, arguing that both are unhappy after the transfer. He said the player would fade under a Spanish manager, while Ajax would suffer under one as well.
His proposed solution was an extraordinary one for professional football: ending the relevant contracts so that Godts could return to Ajax and Michel could take charge of a club in a Spanish-speaking country.
The remarks also refer to recent criticism from De Boer of Michel’s command of English. Michel previously managed Girona before taking charge in Amsterdam.
