Ajax

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has said he is hopeful that Donny van de Beek will remain at the Dutch champions in 2019-20 despite links to Real Madrid.

Van De Beek recently told Fox Sports (h/t Carlos Forjanes of AS) the Spanish giants were "interested in me."

According to Ben Hayward of the Evening Standard, Real have turned their interest to the 22-year-old as a midfield alternative to Paul Pogba, who looks set to remain at Manchester United.

Ten Hag, though, is confident that Van De Beek is committed to Ajax and could stay past the end of the transfer window at the beginning of September, per Marca:

"[Van de Beek] only dedicates himself to playing. I guess and I hope that he stays with us this season. Otherwise, I will hear from [Ajax director of football] Marc Overmars."

Ajax have lost a number of key players this summer from the squad that won the Dutch league title last season and made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, knocking out Real Madrid and Juventus on the way.

Most notably, midfielder Frenkie de Jong has gone to Barcelona and centre-back Matthijs de Ligt has joined Juventus:

De Ligt - Gone
De Jong - Gone
Schone - Gone
Van de Beek - Possibly going...
Ziyech - STAYING ✅

Ajax have tied talented winger Hakim Ziyech down with a contract extension to 2022 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rklnN47D7H

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 9, 2019

If Van De Beek were to leave also, it would be a big blow for Ajax, as he is superb on the ball, boasts a fantastic passing range and is only likely to get better with more experience. 

The Dutchman netted nine goals and provided 10 assists in the Dutch top flight last season, and he has started the new campaign in brilliant fashion, already registering two goals and two assists in two appearances:

9 - Donny van de Beek is directly involved in nine goals in his last nine Eredivisie appearances (5 goals, 4 assists). Galactic. pic.twitter.com/BaJlp93AsK

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) August 10, 2019

Real are fairly ruthless, though, when it comes to signing the targets they want. 

They look to have missed out on Pogba and Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen in their bid to strengthen in the midfield.

But should Los Blancos decide that they cannot go into the 2019-20 season without strengthening in the middle of the park, they have the financial clout to table tempting offers to both Ajax and Van De Beek.

Hakim Ziyech said he could have joined Bayern Munich this summer but decided to sign a new contract with Ajax because the German club took too long to make a move. 

Ziyech signed a new deal on Friday, extending his stay in Amsterdam until 2022, amid links to the Bundesliga champions.

On the prospect of entering his fourth season with the club, he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad's Freek Jansen (h/t Goal's James Westwood):

"I really enjoy playing for Ajax. It feels good.

"I am sure Sevilla are a nice club, but I have always said that everything needed to be just right if I were to make a move.

"Sevilla didn't give me that feeling, so I would rather stay at Ajax. I could have waited for Bayern Munich, yeah. But it felt like the right moment to clarify my situation, both for Ajax and myself.

"If a club wanted me, they could have made their move. I think everybody's seen what we did with Ajax and what my role was in that success.

"A transfer was never the holy grail for me. If the right club doesn't come along, so be it. I signed a new deal and will definitely remain at Ajax this season."

🤝 Hakim Ziyech has signed a new contract at Ajax until 2022https://t.co/zl5abuVwt2

— GOAL (@goal) August 9, 2019

Last season, Ziyech played a key role in Ajax winning the Eredivisie title and enjoying a sensational run to the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Along the way, he notched 21 goals and 24 assists in all competitions, which included contributions against Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur.

It was the most prolific campaign of his career, while his assist return is indicative of a creative player:

358 - Hakim Ziyech created 358 chances in the Eredivisie since his debut for @AFCAjax in Sept 2016, at least 121 more than any other player. Extended. pic.twitter.com/JcZTmhfbYu

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) August 9, 2019

Some of Ajax's best talents, including Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, have been cherry-picked by other sides following their excellent campaign last season. As such, Ziyech's decision to stay put is important.

He has already impressed this season, with a goal and two assists in four matches.

On Saturday, he scored in a 5-0 win over FC Emmen, and football statistician Dave O'Brien shared the numbers behind his excellent showing:

Hakim Ziyech’s game by numbers vs. FC Emmen:

45/59 final third passes
7 shots (1 on target)
7 chances created
7 ball recoveries
4 tackles won
3 through balls
2 fouls won
1 goal

Simply ridiculous. 🧙‍♂️🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/EXRAlSMgBC

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 10, 2019

The 26-year-old is at the peak of his powers, and he would likely have been a strong acquisition for Bayern on the right wing as they're in need of replacements for Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery following their departures at the end of last season.

Bayern spent much of the summer linked with Leroy Sane, but the Manchester City star will be out of action until next year with a knee injury.

With Ziyech no longer an option either, the Bavarian club will need to look elsewhere or make do with their wide options until they can try again next summer.

Andre Onana has been linked with Manchester United, but the Cameroon international goalkeeper is happy to remain an Ajax player for the foreseeable future.

Onana wants to build on the tremendous season Ajax enjoyed in 2018/19, when the Eredivisie club reached the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. The Amsterdam outfit also won the domestic title and lifted the KNVB Cup.

Yet despite the success, Onana still wants more, telling Voetbal International (h/t Robert Summerscales of MailOnline): "It is important to me that I play at a good level and that I can continue to develop. I am still young and with Ajax we have just proved how much we can achieve with this club. It will not be easy to surpass that. But I want to fight for new success with Ajax."

Those words should end links to United, even though Summerscales noted Onana is seen as a potential replacement for David De Gea. It would depend on if De Gea leaves Old Trafford during this transfer window.

Earlier in June, The Sun's Martin Blackburn reported how United were "impressed" with Onana and viewed him as a cheaper alternative to Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak. Blackburn noted how De Gea's contract is up in 2020 and a lucrative bid may tempt the Red Devils to cash in now.

De Gea has been a rock for United during a relatively lean spell for the club in recent seasons. Yet his familiar consistency deserted him at times last season with mistakes becoming common for the Spain international.

The 28-year-old was notably at fault when United lost 2-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium back in March. He misjudged the trajectory of a shot by Granit Xhaka from distance.

While De Gea appears to be on the slide, Onana is a stopper who has gone from strength to strength in recent years. The 23-year-old is continuing to thrive while representing the Indomitable Lions at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, keeping two clean sheets in as many games.

Onana committing his future to Ajax is good news for a club in danger of seeing many of its gifted youngsters move on. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong has already joined Barcelona and will be unveiled on July 5, according to Ivan San Antonio of Sport.

Meanwhile, centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is expected to join Serie A giants Juventus, per Goal's Romeo Agresti.

Keeping Onana between the sticks will help Ajax retain some of the strength at the back that defined their excellent season. It would also mean United need to get more creative when making any plans for possible life without De Gea.

Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek has said he is unsure whether he or team-mate Matthijs de Ligt will be at the club next season. 

The Dutch duo were exceptional for the Amsterdam giants in 2018-19, as they helped the team clinch a domestic double and make a surprise run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. However, both have been linked with possible departures in the current transfer window.

Van de Beek was asked about his situation and was coy on the prospect of a possible departure, per Peter Staunton of Goal.

"My situation is I have a contract with Ajax, and I am really happy," said the 22-year-old. "You never know what is going to happen in the future, but I can say nothing about that."

Staunton noted that both Manchester United and Tottenham have been linked with Van de Beek, who enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Dutch capital. As noted by Squawka Football, the midfielder was prolific throughout the campaign:

Donny van de Beek has scored 30 goals across all competitions for Ajax.

That's a lot of screaming. 😂 https://t.co/XwXR4QFnpx

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 1, 2019

Van de Beek grabbed the only goal in the Champions League first-leg win over Tottenham Hotspur, only for his side to be eliminated from the competition in the return fixture (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1123306126190239744

While there's only been a smattering of speculation regarding Van de Beek's future, when it comes to De Ligt the talk has been relentless. The defender's club and international team-mate said that he's unsure what team De Ligt will end up at.

"I don’t know," he said. "A lot of clubs want to buy him, I think so because he is a good player and now he has to choose for himself. Where he feels good, he has to go there."

According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer massive money to the young defender to secure his signature, with a weekly wage in excess of £350,000 said to be on the table. Manchester United and Barcelona are also reported to be interested in the player.

Ajax have already agreed a deal to sell Frenkie de Jong to Barcelona this summer, meaning they will have to replace at least one key player in this window. With De Ligt's departure looking inevitable, a big rebuild appears to be on the cards.

With that in mind, Van de Beek is likely to be given more responsibility and with money in the bank from big sales, Ajax will be under no pressure to sell. Per football writer Cetin Cem Yilmaz, already the midfielder has showcased so many positive attributes:

I’m becoming a bigger fan of Donny van de Beek with every passing Ajax game. His movement, timing, reading of the space, tactical intelligence is beyond his years. And all the hard job he does, he makes it look so effortless. #AJATOT

— Çetin Cem Yılmaz (@cetincem) May 8, 2019

At the moment, he doesn't appear to be in a hurry to leave the Dutch giants either, and with another season of regular football at Ajax, he could become one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe.

As such, you sense it'd take an extraordinary offer in order for Ajax to agree to part ways with yet another of their brightest talents.

Barcelona are reportedly concerned that they've fallen behind Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the chase for Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Having already agreed a deal with the Dutch giants to sign Frenkie de Jong, the Blaugrana have also been linked with his club and international team-mate. However, according to Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden of ESPN FC, Barcelona are now worried they may miss out on the 19-year-old.

"We can't move any more on what we've offered," said a source quoted in the piece. "One of the things that could benefit us is the player's desire to come here, but we will see if that really is what he wants in the end."

It's added that Barcelona have struck an agreement in principle with Ajax for De Ligt for around €75 million, but they've not yet settled on terms with the player or his agent, Mino Raiola.

As such, the likes of Juventus, Bayern and PSG are said to have been given fresh hope in their respective pursuits of one of the game's biggest rising stars. Raiola is said to be using the widespread interest in the player to try and push for an increased salary for his client.

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague provided his insight into the De Ligt transfer battle:

Latest on #DeLigt. Three clubs in the short list. Ajax will not auction him as they will be happy with €60-70, his future depends only on him. #FCB the club that pays the least but hope other things will convince him -style, Messi, de Jong. More:

🎥 https://t.co/t1TOqhqAkm pic.twitter.com/uUV733LDSo

— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) May 20, 2019

While Llorens and Marsden provided a negative outlook on the situation for Barcelona, according to Sky Sports the Blaugrana are still major favourites to secure the Ajax tyro. Manchester United and Liverpool are also noted as possible suitors.

The clamour to sign De Ligt is understandable, as he's on course to become one of the best players in the world. Already he's showcased incredible defensive skills at the highest level, helping Ajax reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals this season.

De Ligt also proved he could be a threat in the opposition box, scoring in the semi-final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and a crucial goal in the triumph over Juventus in the previous round (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1118265308207357952

Despite his age, De Ligt has also showcased remarkable leadership and delivered this impassioned speech to supporters at the team's recent celebration of their Eredivisie and KNVB Cup triumphs:

Beautiful words from @AFCAjax captain Matthijs de Ligt! 🔝 #CruyffLegacy pic.twitter.com/yIR28lAKcT

— Johan Cruyff (@JohanCruyff) May 16, 2019

Barcelona would benefit from a player like De Ligt, as they have looked defensively suspect at crucial points in the campaign. During their collapse against Liverpool in the Champions League, they lacked both the organisation and the leadership to see out the game.

De Ligt is not the finished article yet, although he has already shown enough to suggest he could make a big difference at the Camp Nou and potentially become an ideal successor to Gerard Pique. It appears any transfer will be far from straightforward at this point, though.

Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt has said he still needs time to consider his options and does not know whether he will move to Barcelona with team-mate Frenkie de Jong in the summer.

A 4-1 win over De Graafschap on Wednesday saw Ajax seal the Eredivisie title for the first time since 2014:

What a season.

❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/IUuIbVgjHL

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 15, 2019

It is now expected their brilliant young side will be broken up in the summer. Midfielder De Jong has already signed a deal to join Barca, and De Ligt, 19, has been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs, including the Blaugrana, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

However, he told Fox Sports there is no firm news on where he may be playing come the start of next season (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal):

"This is not the time to talk about my future. I don't know if I will go with Frenkie de Jong [to Barcelona]. I still have to analyse things and see everything. We'll see what happens. I cannot say anything. We'll see at the end of summer. There is nothing yet."

Ajax and De Ligt caught the wider attention of Europe this season with their extraordinary run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

They beat Juventus and defending champions Real Madrid on the way and were seconds from sealing a spot in the final before Lucas Moura's late goal for Tottenham Hotspur in the last four.

De Ligt impressed throughout the campaign, showing a maturity that belies his age and proving he could be one of the best centre-backs in Europe over the next decade:

"The one who they think can be the best in his position in the world is De Ligt."@RorySmith says Dutch football scouts rate De Ligt so highly, they think he can become the world's best centre back.

📲 Download the Football Daily: https://t.co/aqAKH5ZpCe #GER pic.twitter.com/4D8rLzVSpu

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) March 21, 2019

https://twitter.com/grahamruthven/status/1126201970023456770

The Barcelona link makes perfect sense given he boasts many of the attributes prized at the Camp Nou, most notably a fantastic passing range, and Gerard Pique is arguably no longer in his prime.

However, the Catalan giants will surely be challenged for his signature, as top-class central defenders are prized assets in modern football.

Ajax are likely resigned to the fact that they are going to lose De Ligt. But the Amsterdam outfit will be able to demand a substantial fee for him, as he still has a contract to 2021.

Dutch football club Telstar have sacked their player Jordie van der Laan after he attended the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax, having initially told his team that he was sick. 

Per Chris Burton of Goal, Van der Laan made the decision to travel to London to watch Ajax against the wishes of his club but was caught on camera. After saying he was ill and then confirming his intention to go to the game, Telstar took the decision to terminate his contract.

Speaking to Ijmuider Courant (h/t Burton), the forward explained his thinking behind the decision:

"Of course I realise that it has been a very awkward situation. I had a conversation with Piet [Buter, technical director] last Thursday about the situation and in good harmony it was decided to separate.

"I called in sick because I was convinced that I would not be freed from the training. With this decision I took into account that with Telstar we were no longer playing for anything and I, given the number of playing minutes I have had in the recent period, had only a small chance of figuring against Jong PSV.

"In any case, I definitely would not have gone to London. However, I still stated before the Champions League match that I was not sick and was in London."

As Burton noted, Van der Laan posted on Twitter asking for a ticket for Wednesday's second leg in Amsterdam, as he would be "free after all" for the game. A journalist has agreed to take him to the match for a round of beer.

Ajax were 1-0 winners on the night, with Donny van de Beek's goal putting them within touching distance of what would be a shock final appearance at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on June 1 (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1123395957712879616

Telstar play in the second tier of Dutch football and finished their domestic season in 15th position, losing 2-0 to Jong PSV on Friday. 

Van der Laan signed for the club from DOVO in August 2018 but only made seven appearances in the Eerste Divisie before his recent departure.

Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt said that one of the keys to the team's success is that they don't rely on star players.

The Dutchman spoke after his side beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old centre-back gave insight into Ajax's methods to Sky Sport and did not class himself as a star player in the side (h/t Sport):

"We know each other really well. We always think about possession first, we're friends, we are always together and we don't have stars. 

"We are a team and that's our biggest strength. I wouldn't say I am a [star], I am a normal kid who is in the semi-finals, we played well and I am happy."

Some might disagree on De Ligt's self-assessment, given he's already the team's captain and led them to victories over Real Madrid and Juventus in the last two rounds.

Squawka's Muhammad Butt was impressed with his performance in north London against Spurs:

De Ligt has been ridiculously good. what an absolute colossus.

— Muhammad Butt (@muhammadbutt) April 30, 2019

Grup 14's Rafael Hernandez praised his leadership and Ajax's ability to work as a group:

De Ligt was caught out a few times but his command of the back line showed. Not a single Ajax player performed badly, they performed almost perfectly as a single unit.

— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) April 30, 2019

Lacking the injured Harry Kane and the suspended Heung-Min Son, Spurs managed just one shot on target at home against Ajax, who took the lead in the tie through Donny van de Beek after 15 minutes.

De Ligt added:

"We're really happy because it's really difficult to play against Tottenham, they're a great team.

"In the first half we did well, after that, [Spurs] changed in the second half and they grew. There are still 90 minutes to go and anything can happen." 

Van de Beek's goal was Ajax's 161st in all competitions this season, a record-breaking tally for a Dutch side.

Dusan Tadic has contributed to almost one third of them:

Dušan Tadić has played 51 games for Ajax across all competitions this season...

He's scored 3️⃣4️⃣ goals and assisted another 1️⃣9️⃣ 👏

Crazy numbers 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pDbEVB7blz

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 24, 2019

That would typically earn him star status in almost any other side, but Ajax, who have hit five or more in a single game on 11 occasions this season, spread their goals around.

He and Van de Beek are among six players to reach double figures for goals in all competitions, alongside Hakim Ziyech, David Neres, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Kasper Dolberg. All aside from the latter two are in double figures for assists too.

Behind them, De Ligt and Frenkie de Jong add composure and technical quality to their defence and midfield, respectively.

De Jong has already agreed to join Barcelona this summer, while De Ligt has frequently been linked with them, though he would not be drawn on his future: "I don't know, I am not thinking about that right now. I play football and later I'll see what happens."

Whether he joins Barca or not, it's difficult to imagine him staying at Ajax beyond the summer after announcing himself to Europe's elite so impressively this season.

The teenager may not consider himself a star yet, but it seems he's destined to become one. 

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has dismissed suggestions from Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Mauricio Pochettino that his side are favourites for their UEFA Champions League semi-final opening leg on Tuesday. 

Pochettino recently referred to the absences of injured Harry Kane and suspended Heung-min Son as cause to favour Ajax and told reporters the Dutch club calendar favoured the Eredivisie side. 

Ten Hag took umbrage with that assessment of the first-leg fixture, however, and said at a press conference on Monday that the difference in payouts between their respective leagues levelled the playing field:

"We get €10 million (£8.7 million) for playing in Eredivisie and they get many more millions for being in the Premier League. Is that not unfair on us?

"There are always differing circumstances. Everybody has different circumstances. You just have to deal with them. That's what we do."

Pochettino made his remarks before Spurs fell 1-0 at home to West Ham United on Saturday, a disappointing defeat they'll hope isn't a precursor to their meeting with Ajax in north London.

The Dutch outfit have defied the odds to knock Real Madrid and Juventus out of the knockout stages, and there is a sense it could be a rare opportunity for this particular class (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1122939237622411264

Kane's season is in doubt due to an ankle ligament injury, but advancing to the Champions League final would be one way for Spurs to give their star man a chance of returning before the campaign finishes.

Son is suspended for the visit of Ajax after picking up his third caution of the tournament in the second leg of their quarter-final victory against English rivals Manchester City.

To contrast Ten Hag's judgement over winnings against Ajax's English equivalents, 2016-17 Premier League champions Chelsea received more than £150 million in total winnings, per Goal's Ryan Kelly. Teams in the English top flight received close to £80 million each that season in TV distribution alone.

The tactician added Ajax have thrived through a combination of young, lesser-known talents and good recruitment of experienced players from foreign divisions, per TalkSport's Ian Abrahams:

Erik ten Hag says he bought in Daley Blind and Dusan Tadic with a view to bringing the experience to the squad to win big matches like this pic.twitter.com/aMUqRGc3Sw

— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) April 29, 2019

Both Daley Blind, 29, and Dusan Tadic, 30, had slumped at Manchester United and Southampton, respectively, but both boasted prior Eredivisie experience and have been smash hits for Ten Hag.

Pochettino sees his journey at Tottenham as a fairy tale of its own and recently illustrated how his side are exceeding expectations, via the Guardian:

Tottenham’s story won’t be repeated in football, says Mauricio Pochettino https://t.co/3efOMnH6Ou By @DaveHytner pic.twitter.com/Gr9PYnXFoL

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) April 29, 2019

One could easily put Pochettino's comments down as little more than mind games ahead of such a crucial clash. Spurs failed to sign any players during the last two transfer windows and have succeeded despite the dearth of new arrivals.

Ten Hag doesn't appear willing to let Spurs steal the underdog title, however, as his side hope to capitalise on their hosts' torment by clinching a first-leg advantage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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