Klaas act set for biggest stage
Spanish giants Real Madrid finally got their man when they struck a deal with Ajax for Holland striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar.
With Ruud van Nistelrooy sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery, the Spanish champions were in desperate need of some firepower.
With only 18 months remaining on his contract, the Amsterdammers were fighting a losing battle to keep the 25-year-old, who was heavily linked with a move away in the summer.
Madrid president Ramon Calderon last week vowed to bring reinforcements to the Bernabeu in January, saying: "I'm told there will be two young players, attackers, who will come to help us.
"They will be able to play in the Champions League."
Ajax failed to qualify for Europe's premier competition after missing out in the play-off to FC Twente in May, meaning Huntelaar's only European action so far has come in the UEFA Cup.
He will be available to play for Madrid in the Champions League, with UEFA regulations allowing the registration of three new players for the knockout rounds - one of which can have played for another club in Europe provided it is not the competition in question.
Huntelaar has been a target of the Spanish champions for some time, with sporting director Predrag Mijatovic having tracked the Oranje forward for two years.
During negotiations for Wesley Sneijder in summer 2007 Mijatovic made it clear to the Amsterdammers that he would also like to see Huntelaar join the Dutch contingent at the Bernabeu.
Huntelaar could next season join forces up front with another of his compatriots in Van Nistelrooy - ironically a man who has limited his number of international appearances so far.
His haul of 18 Dutch caps would surely have been greater had it not been for Van Nistelrooy, often preferred by former Holland coach Marco van Basten in recent times.
Huntelaar's Oranje outlook received a boost when Van Nistelrooy retired from the national team after Euro 2008, and he now has the opportunity to fill the former Manchester United forward's boots at club level too.
Often compared to Van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar has a goalscoring record to justify the comparisons having bagged 33 goals in just 34 appearances in the 2007/08 season for Ajax to win the Eredivisie golden boot award.
The striker's abilities were not always apparent, though, as at just 11 years old he joined the De Graafschap youth team and played in a number of positions - including goalkeeper. It was not until three seasons later that his skills as a goalscorer shone through.
Huntelaar went on to sparkle up front and in 2000 he caught the attention of PSV Eindhoven, who signed the then 17-year-old for their youth team. He quickly established himself, scoring 26 goals in 23 games.
Following his success in the youth team, he earned the call to Guus Hiddink's senior side but failed to hold down a first-team berth. He made only one appearance for the club and was then sent on loan back to De Graafschap but again did not deliver.
His next loan spell, at newly-promoted Eerste Divisie side AGOVV Apeldoorn, was a much more successful affair, however. Lower-league football helped Huntelaar regained form and confidence and he found the net 26 times to finish as the division's top scorer.
That earned Huntelaar a move to Heerenveen, where his amazing form continued. A total of 34 goals in 46 appearances had Holland's top clubs on alert and prompted Ajax to splash out 9million euros on him in 2005.
Thirty-three goals in his first season at the Amsterdam ArenA secured Huntelaar the Johan Cruyff Award for young talent.
Van Basten handed Huntelaar his first Holland call-up in 2006 and things could hardly have gone more smoothly as he scored two and set up two more in a 4-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
While his international chances were at a premium, the goals continued to flow at club level. Huntelaar was on target in successive KNVB Beker final triumphs over PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
After again finishing top scorer last season, Huntelaar hinted in the summer that he could be ready for a fresh challenge.
Manchester United were linked with a summer swoop, with Huntelaar saying: "I love clubs with great history like Ajax, I also love Manchester United.
"It's a club that makes me dream, especially as Ruud van Nistelrooy played there and did great things with them."
United's striker search was ended by the summer deadline-day acquisition of Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham, with Madrid from then on top of the list of potential suitors.
Madrid - 31-times champions of Spain and nine-times kings of Europe - boast a history every bit as glittering as United's.
And, with Huntelaar venturing outside of Holland for the first time in his career, the presence of countrymen Van Nistelrooy, Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben will help him feel right at home.
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