A year after Ajax paid Red Bull Salzburg close to €15 million to bring him to Amsterdam, Oscar Gloukh is being told by Dutch football watchers that this pre-season is the moment his career at the club is decided.

ONE reports that Dutch analysts see the Israeli attacking midfielder at a genuine crossroads heading into the 2026/27 campaign, arriving under new head coach Míchel with what several commentators are calling the ideal set-up to finally deliver on Ajax's investment.

"Usually with Gloukh it's all or nothing," Dutch commentator Peter Zwart said, according to the report. "If he doesn't seize this opportunity now, he simply won't get another one at Ajax."

Gloukh's first season in the Eredivisie was, by most accounts, a struggle. He made 29 league appearances and scored six goals, contributing nine goals and an assist across all competitions, but was used mainly as a winger rather than in his preferred central playmaking role under previous managers John Heitinga and caretaker Fred Grim.

Ajax churned through three head coaches across that campaign before turning to the Spaniard Míchel, formerly of Girona, who signed a contract running to 2028 after leaving the Catalan club following its relegation from La Liga.

According to ONE, Míchel's system - built around short passing combinations and lighter defensive demands on his attacking players - is viewed in Amsterdam as a far better fit for Gloukh's game than the more physical, wing-based role he was often asked to play last season.

Dutch analyst Tim Goudijk is quoted in the report saying Gloukh's underlying problem last year was confidence rather than ability. "Gloukh needs trust. Last year that simply didn't exist," Goudijk said, adding that the resulting insecurity pushed the 22-year-old into rushed, careless decisions on the ball.

ONE notes Gloukh gave an encouraging early sign of the reset, playing well and contributing to two goals in a pre-season friendly against Voždovac.

Gloukh, born in Rehovot, has 29 caps and five goals for the Israel national team since debuting in November 2022, and has previously stated he intends to fight for his place at Ajax rather than seek a move away after just one season.

The stakes described in the report are straightforward: with a new coach, a new tactical framework and no shortage of competition for places in Ajax's attack, Dutch observers believe Gloukh has been given the platform to prove last season was an aberration - and that he may not get a second chance if he does not.