Aaron Bouwman has quickly developed into one of Ajax's most important players. The young defender made his debut for Ajax's first team last season and has now established himself as a regular starter.

Bouwman missed a few games after suffering an injury against PSV Eindhoven, but Michel Sanchez has often started him when fit. 

At only 19 years of age, Bouwman still has years of development ahead of him, and he still has flaws in his game, particularly from a defensive point of view. His positioning is poor at times, and he is also not the best in duels. At times, it also seems that he loses concentration. However, Bouwman is exceptional on the ball, and despite the defensive vulnerabilities in his game, he has the talent to become an elite central defender who can play at the highest level.

In the Eredivisie this season, Bouwman has averaged 13,9 line-breaking passes per 90, which ranks him among the best centre-backs in the Eredivisie in that regard. He is also very good at carrying the ball forward and can evade pressure well.

Ajax have signed 12 first-team players since Michel Sanchez took over in the summer, and Tolu Arokodare has been one of the standout new additions to the squad. The Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee has already scored 13 times in all competitions for Ajax. While he is only at the club on loan, Ajax have the option to sign him permanently for a fee of around €20 million, and the player has said he is open to staying in Amsterdam.

Speaking to Voetbal International, Bouwman explained that facing Tolu in training has helped him improve, and he also revealed that the Nigerian striker gives him tips on how to approach duels.

"I actually like it! You learn a lot from it," Bouwman said when explaining what it is like to play against Tolu in training.

"Especially when long balls are played in training, and you're up against him, those are fun duels to play. And in the small matches too, that's always competitive, and we both always go in hard. Playing the duels the way they have to be done in matches, I really enjoy that."

"Tolu also helps occasionally with defensive tips. How I can better go into duels with a striker, those are nice things to be able to discuss with each other."

Bouwman will likely be on the radar of some of Europe's biggest clubs, but he needs to stay at Ajax for at least the next 18 months. Leaving Ajax any earlier than that, especially to go to a club where he would not necessarily start regularly, could hurt his development significantly.

As already mentioned, there are aspects of his game that he needs to work on, and Ajax offer the right environment for him to do that. 

Dies Janse has also made a positive impression this season. He and Bouwman are both very young, but they complement each other very nicely and could well be Michel Sanchez's go-to centre-back pairing next season.