Cambuur: Ismaël Baouf impresses and attracts big clubs

SC Cambuur coach Henk de Jong does not hide his admiration for the young 19-year-old Belgian-Moroccan defender Ismaël Baouf. The Dutch technician believes that the player should not stay long in Leeuwarden after the end of the season.

Currently second in the Eerste Divisie, Cambuur is in a good position to advance to the Eredivisie. A possible promotion which, according to De Jong, would only further increase Baouf's market value.

A true revelation of the championship this season, the young defender has already distinguished himself with his performances, to the point of being voted best player of the third third of the season. He also boasts impressive stats for a defender with six goals scored.

Under contract with Cambuur until 2028, Baouf is already attracting the attention of several major clubs. Major teams in the Dutch championship such as AFC Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord would follow his development, as would AZ Alkmaar and even Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Guest of the show De Voetbalkantine, Henk de Jong explained that he had been convinced of Baouf's potential for several months. He notably mentioned his performances with the Moroccan selection during the U20 World Cup as confirmation of his immense talent.

Dutch analyst Hans Kraay Jr. also expects the player to leave this summer. For his part, De Jong even mentioned a potential starting price: “If we are promoted, it will take at least five million euros to consider his transfer. »

On a technical level, the coach is particularly impressed by the player's defensive intelligence, his solidity in duels and his quality in aerial play despite his height of 1.83 m. However, he believes that Baouf still has room for improvement, particularly in the construction of the game, where he will have to improve his passing choices and the management of his actions to reach the very high level.