Jayden Addai arrived at Como from AZ Alkmaar for €14 million at the beginning of the summer window. His move came as one of the first of a new raft of young signings, as the lakeside team prepared for their second Serie A campaign.
Building on some fleeting appearances in Como’s colours so far, Addai looks to be steadily beginning to justify his transfer fee. The Purmerend-born winger proved integral in this past weekend’s away clash against Fiorentina, scoring a fine 93rd-minute winner and registering his first Serie A goal just two months after his arrival on the lake shore.
He received the ball wide on the right, and ran towards Marin Pongracic. The Croatian was quickly beaten, before the pacey wideman had David De Gea helpless in the face of a piercing cross-goal effort. This strike ultimately capped the confidence seen in the Como set-up to acquire Addai. Even though he had just one year in the top flight before this, his raw talent has been enough to persuade his new fans in Lombardy. Most importantly, one of those is manager Cesc Fabregas.
“I think Jayden has extraordinary potential. We wanted him here because we saw important qualities in him: one-on-one play, attacking spaces, personality, and dedication,” Fabregas said at a press conference in early August. The Spaniard has steadily integrated Addai, and notably sees him as the perfect catalyst to break games open. If he continues this vein of form, he could even become a starter.
Raw ability and a willingness to improve important for Addai’s development
Having turned 20 just under a month ago, Addai, as said, arrived in Italy after just one year in the Eredivisie. The move followed a season in which he swung between the first and second teams at AZ, in a campaign that also saw him sidelined for several weeks due to injury.
Such was the nature of this transfer and Addai’s lack of experience, both AZ and the player were caught off guard. In fact, the Alkmaar club even advised against a Serie A switch.
“I was surprised, and so was Jayden,” technical director Max Huiberts stated. “A transfer wasn’t expected this summer. We talked with him a lot. Was this the right time? I sensed his doubts. And I, like many other people at the club, told him: if in doubt, don’t do it.”
Como, however, saw through his inexperience, and now this risk is starting to bear fruit. Addai addressed being profiled for his exciting traits, regardless of a one-goal return in 25 games with Alkmaar.
“I’m here because I looked at the squad and saw so many young players with real opportunities: guys who, like me, were on the fringes of the first team elsewhere but are playing a lot here. I spoke with the coach and the club about the project and realised that this was the right place for him to grow and play.” Judging by how his Italian adventure has started, he couldn’t have chosen a better place.
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