Sports
Van der Sar promises sustainability with impressive Ajax team
Dutch legendary goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, has stated that while it is inevitable that Ajax will sell some of their stars this summer, the club is looking at sustainability rather than cashing in on their young stars wanted by the big clubs across Europe.
With midfielder, Frenkie de Jong set to join Barcelona this summer, having already finalised a move to Camp Nou, while Matthijs de Ligt is widely expected to follow him out the door with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus all linked, big European sides are looking at the likes of David Neres, Donny van de Beek, Hakim Ziyech and Andre Onana.
However, Van der Saar, who is the director at Ajax, insists the club won’t be completely robbed of talent this summer.
“We know that’s a fact. That’s the history of Ajax all along. It has been in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, so we know that the former Manchester United goalkeeper told BT Sport when asked about the possibility of player departures.
“That also gives space for the younger players, guys who are 19 or 20. In two years time, they will be playing at this kind of level.
“We’re not going to sell seven players. We need to make sure we can stay competitive. We like this stage of the competition and we like the recognition, so we’re not going to break up the complete team. ”
He added: “Of course that’s Ajax development, giving young players a chance. It doesn’t happen every year.
“Once every couple of years, you have a crop of talent coming through combined with experience with players like [Dusan] Tadic and [Daley] Blind and players who have stayed like Neres. It has made a fantastic team to watch.”
Van der Sar, who came through the Ajax ranks in the 1990s, playing alongside club legends like Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert while winning the 1995 Champions League final, before going on to represent Manchester United among other clubs, noted that the club’s budget is only a fraction of what many Champions league rivals play with.
On their run to the semi-final of the Champions League this season, Van der Sar said: “I experienced it myself in 1995 with the likes of Davids, Seedorf, Kluivert and Frank and Ronald de Boer and it’s great that, 24 years later, we’re reaching that kind of level again and playing the type of football that people know about Ajax, that we have played.”
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