Netherlands national under-21 team
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Bakker is looking for his place in Werkself
Leipzig’s Josef Poulsen catching the ball, Leverkusen’s Mitchell Packer (right).
Photo: Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Leverkusen Mitchell Becker’s first year at Bayer 04 Leverkusen was full of ups and downs. Despite many good tactics, the 21-year-old still has to prove that he can close the permanent construction site in the left-back for the long term.
Mino Raiola had big plans for Mitchell Packer. With the move from PSG to Bayer 04 in the Bundesliga, the player’s best agent, who died in the meantime, wanted to “take his client to the next level”. Raiola and his Dutch client have promised each other more playing time and development opportunities than the French superstar group. After the first season under Bayer Cross, it can be said that the plan has not worked so far. Packer proved to be a solid solution at left-back after Wendell’s departure. However, it still has to prove its ability to close the permanent construction site in the back four in the long run.
It all started very promisingly. After a good preparation, Bakker, as expected, defeated fellow countryman Daly Sinkgraven in an internal comparison and earned a regular spot. With his speed and physique, the 21-year-old added an element to Bayer’s match that had been missing before. This was particularly evident in the second round when Bakker made a decisive contribution to Wreckself’s 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach with one goal and one pass.
Meanwhile, he was unable to maintain the level described at the beginning. He has largely pulled out of Augsburg, and the top teams from Dortmund and Munich have also put him in his place. It was often a combination of high spirits and neglect that the son of former Amsterdam professional Edwin Bakker made life difficult for himself on the court. After sustaining an ankle injury against Wolfsburg, the first half of the season essentially ended for him at the end of October. Only the under-21 international returned against Freiburg on the last day of the match before the winter break.
In the second half of the season, what had already happened at the beginning of the season was repeated: Becker returned to the starting line-up, showed some strong performances such as crushing victories against Augsburg and in Dortmund, but other than that he also gave a lot. from average. The fact that coach Gerardo Sewan increasingly relied on central defender Piero Hincape at left-back towards the end of the season speaks for itself.
However, there is no doubt about the talent and potential of the young man. Physically, Packer has everything it takes to play at the top level, he is a good football coach and shows great self-confidence. Newcastle United reportedly tried to persuade Packer to move to the Premier League last winter. But nothing happened. The defender, who bought a ticket for the European Under-21 Championship with the Dutch youth team before the next match on Saturday, runs until 2025. Leverkusen and Packer still have time to get to know each other so that both sides can benefit from each other. other even more than before.
The €7m transfer fee that Bayer transferred to Paris for Packer should have already been paid – even if the blond boy has yet to find his last place under Bayer’s cross.
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