Bayern Munich scout Ajax vs. Real Madrid Champions League match

Bayern Munich sent their chief scout Marco Neppe and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic to watch Ajax face Real Madrid on Wednesday.

The Champions League returned to action this week with the first round of knockout stage matches taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. There were no matches as high-profile as the upcoming Bayern Munich vs. Liverpool tie, but there were still a few very good games.

Among those was the match-up between Dutch and Spanish giants Ajax and Real Madrid. Ajax, who finished second behind Bayern in the group stage, put up a tough fight against Los Blancos and arguably deserved a win for their efforts. Their young squad ultimately fell short, losing 2-1, but it was not for lack of effort.

Several of the club’s young stars stepped up and proved they have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with some of the world’s best players. Though 21-year-old midfield star Frenkie de Jong has already decided the next step in his future by signing with Barcelona, many of Ajax’s other starlets were definitely still auditioning for a move to a bigger club.

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Bayern Munich are, apparently, one club keeping an eye on some of Ajax’s youngsters. Club sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and head scout Marco Neppe were at the Johann Cruyff Arena to watch Wednesday’s game, according to AZ.

While there is no question of their intentions — they were there scouting Ajax’s developing squad — there are a few players they could have been keeping an eye on.

The most obvious candidate is 19-year-old Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt. The strong center-back has long been linked with a move to Bayern Munich. Brazzo has made known his admiration for both De Ligt and De Jong. With the latter’s future already decided, the former stands out as the most likely Ajax target for the Bavarians.

Of course, De Ligt is not the only possibility. 21-year-old Brazilian winger David Neres also stands out as a potential candidate for a move to Bayern. Even if Salihamidzic wasn’t scouting the young winger, he had to be impressed by his great performance against Dani Carvajal on Wednesday.

Although not as young, Hakim Ziyech could be another option for Die Roten. At 25, he’s perhaps the Eredivisie‘s best player. He’s capable of playing on the right wing, but he’s more naturally a central attacking midfielder.

Finally, right-back Noussair Mazraoui stands an unlikely — but still possible — move for the Bavarians. If Joshua Kimmich is to return to midfield on a permanent basis, Bayern will need another young right-back to add depth to the position.

Mazraoui is just 21 and has already proven his worth against Bayern and now Real Madrid. His move wouldn’t be as high-profile as the others, but it would still mark a great signing for the German champions.