THULANI Serero played himself squarely into the shop window on Tuesday night with a goal for his Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam in the 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League that propelled the Soweto-born midfielder into the world spotlight.

It has heightened talk of an offer in the January transfer window from the English Premier League where Dutch coach Martin Jol at Fulham is said to be considering making an offer for Serero.

Serero, under contract until 2015 at Ajax, would stand to earn considerably more in England than he does in the Netherlands, where foreign players have a minimum wage of some R4-million annually. This he could likely double, even triple, with a move to the struggling London club.

Serero ghosted late into the penalty area to slot home a square cross from the right side of the attack to give Ajax the lead in their Group H match and net his first Champions League goal. Danny Hoesen scored Ajax's second, while Xavi converted a penalty for Barcelona.

He played a strong role in the midfield, often stealing the ball away from the highly rated Barcelona midfield and linking up well between defence and attack. He stayed on for the full 90 minutes and enjoyed a rousing reception along with his Ajax teammates after the game from the capacity crowd at the Amsterdam Arena.

"We had a really good game, especially in the first half," Serero said afterwards. "I think we played well as a team. It was a game in which we had to believe but we always thought we'd have a chance because we are a side who like to play football and they are also a side that like to play. It meant there would be chances for both teams."

Ajax remain third in their group with just one match left to play. Effectively, they need to win away at AC Milan on December 11 to finish in the top two and join Barcelona in the knockout phase in February.