According to media reports, Dynamo midfielder Justin Lonwijk will not go to the pre-season training camp in Austria. The Dutchman will be looking for a new team. It is not yet clear whether it will be a loan or a full transfer.
Justin Lonwake. Photo by Yuriy YurievThis decision was not unexpected. Lonwijk hardly played in the spring. However, after his arrival in Kyiv, there was a convincing impression that this player had great potential and would be able to strengthen Dynamo.
There are several versions of Justin's possible departure from the club:
He was no longer needed. Lonwijk was invited to the club as a replacement for Mykola Shaparenko, who suffered a serious knee injury and was virtually out for the season. Now Mykola has returned to the general group and should once again become a leader in the middle of the field. Under Shaparenko, there must be a backup, a player without ambition who will be willing to sit on the bench and come on for the allotted time. Why pay Justin a salary while keeping him on the bench? A player with lower financial requirements would be better suited for this.
He didn't fit Lucescu's style. Mircea plays with a classic triangle. He is a pure defenceman who works for destruction. The other full-back is more of a playmaker, he will bring the team into the game. And a player under the forward. Lonwijk cannot fit into any of these positions. Mircea doesn't see him in the position of Sydorchuk (he needs to do a lot of grunt work), Shaparenko (he needs to work a lot with the ball) and Buyalsky (he needs to be able to press and look for moments). Lonwijk is more of a box-to-box player who plays from one penalty area to another.
The coaching staff's mistake. Lonwijk has excellent anthropometry, he's 190. He has a good shot, can play on the wing and in the centre in two positions. Works well with the ball. He went through the Dutch football school. In terms of his potential, he is a high-level player. If he hasn't played, it's the coaching staff's fault, as they couldn't find an approach to him. In terms of football, the player has all the qualities to be successful at the current level of the UPL.
Belt-tightening. It is a difficult time for Ukrainian football. "Dynamo failed to qualify for the CL or the UEFA Europa League, so financial belts need to be tightened. Lonwijk's salary is not low, but he is not the main player in the team. There is not much logic in keeping him in the team. Now you can get your money back on a transfer.
The war. Justin knew exactly where he was going. All the possible risks. Perhaps his psyche does not allow him to concentrate on football in such conditions. The Dutchman feels in danger and is not ready to show his best in such conditions and concentrate exclusively on football.
He did not adapt. Now Dynamo has a Ukrainian team. There are not many foreigners. There are not many English-speaking players either. It's a shame that Justin never became part of the team. He did not find new friends. All this affected his performance on the football field.
Agents. The transfer was mediated by the Italian company GG11. It is represented in Ukraine by Sasha Yakovenko and Ivan Pirozhenko. Their client is Vladyslav Supryaga. They organised his transfer to Sampdoria. The club must have big questions about this player. "Dynamo spent a lot of money and got nothing in return. Even a negative reputation. The player's agents should also be responsible for why things are so bad. Another GG11 client, Mykyta Burda, has been granted free agent status. Georgiy Bushchan went to Vadym Shabliy. There is a version that the club wants nothing more to do with this agency.
Sergey Tishchenko
