Don't really know why you feel that way. We made it pretty clear that anyone who wants to leave has to wait till the summer and we already declined massive offers for him.
Matthijs De Ligt | Ajax CB
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I don't think he'd join us if given the chance, he'll have offers from all of Europe's top clubs. We'd do well to do what Liverpool did with Keita and try nabbing him early before they get involved, although I imagine there's a very slim chance of that ever happening.
why would Ajax sell their captain and best player in January?
How are you going to convince De Ligt that being a patchwork signing for a precarious Mourinho season is a sensible move?
Was that confirmed?
Why I feel that way, is because you are generally a selling club and we have a good relationship I feel. And money, lots of it.
How about playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world while paid loads of money? No offense but I think you would be easier to negotiate than the rich owners of the Milano clubs.
I think it can be done if we are seriously interested. People act like we are fecking Leeds United and getting relegated come May.
Ajax aren't going to sell in January, because a) they're filthy rich, they are among the receivers in today's crazy transfer market, b) they have ambitions and don't want to sell in the middle of a season and c) why sell in January when you can get the same or higher price in the summer. The best you can hope for is buy in January but loaning him back until the end of the season.
We're not that bad but it's hard to deny there are more quality teams now than there were a few years ago, all with heavy financial backing which makes signing targets like De Ligt an uphill battle.
Yeah that buy and loan back stuff never really happens. If it would come to a bidding war the likes of bayern and juve would not be able to match us. But selling his captain mid season will be the end of Overmars. We'll see who gets de ligt next summer. I wouldnt pick spain if I were him.
Because all the biggest clubs are interested in him. Apparently he's a main target for all of Barca, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Bayern, and he's more casually been linked to Spurs, City, and Liverpool as well
According to tier 1 journalist (Freek Jansen for Voetbal International, the most reputable Dutch football magazine), Ajax turned down a €65 million offer this summer.
He's only going to be worth more now, so how much are you going to be paying to make a January move worth it? €80m? Why wouldn't we be able to get that in the summer? Unless you're going (well) into €100 million I don't see why Ajax would even consider the deal.
Then there's De Ligt, who's got a very responsible head on him. Being a panic January buy as United try to save their Mourinho season isn't the kind of move that gives you any sort of long term security. Why would he go for the club that offers him that, regardless of him loving English football, United being the biggest club in it obviously (and he's talked about having red both Ferdinand and Vidic's autobiographies), when he can get a long term plan offered to him by any of those other big clubs, with probably the same money attached to it?
There's no way De Ligt risks the next couple years of his development for slightly more money now, when he's still only 19.
It's not that at all btw. I think you have great pull as a club, but it's always risky to commit yourself as a young player to a long term plan with a manager whose position isn't stable.
Ajax rejecting Spurs offer might not just be for more money, they hate to let go of their young players when they think they are not fully developed. They also rejected offers for Kasper Dolberg, although that might not work out well considering that he's been stagnating with injuries, they'd still not sell underdeveloped youngsters.
Kluivert.
Ajax will almost certainly reach the knock out stage of the CL. No way they will sell any players in January
How is he as an athlete?
Fine in overall track and field events but his javelin skills leave to be desired.
Why aren't we even linked with such a prospect is beyond me.
Bayern and Juventus won’t pay 65m for a CB never mind more. And I’m too lazy to analyze each one individually, but nobody will pay more for him than us imo. And that would be favorable for Ajax.
From who? I’ve seen the rumors but don’t remember from which club it was.
Anything over 80 and you are selling. You won’t get a better deal even in the summer. And if we are serious about bringing a CB I can see us offering that.
It’s only October for Christ sake. Come January things can change and the mood can be different. And I never heard about that bit for Rio and Vidic.
And about the wages... he won’t get a better deal anywhere else.
If it’s true about the €65m bid I’d wager money on it having been united just like the €65m bid for Skriniar at Inter which was also turned down. I also read somewhere that we also enquirer about koubilay too. My theory is that Ed tried for the young ones first, got knocked back. Left with a bunch of older crocks to risk money on or Maguire he chose to take it no further this window and told miserable Mou to work with what he’s got
You sold Suarez in January anyway.
All those clubs won't spend huge of money in January for centre back that won't start in their team.
I never watch De Ligt played, but I have heard a lot of good stuffs about him and if he's good enough I think he is likely to start with us since we are desperate for a centre back right now means De Light will get a lot of playing time and experiences in a top level.
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Is he really that good? Blind was highly rated at Ajax too.
It's funny. People tend to assume Ajax needs money. They don't.
Trust me. De Ligt won't sign for United as long as the club is in the state it is in now. No matter the offer.
I doubt we can compete with Barcelona right now. While we absolutely should be trying to buy players like De Ligt, if Barca are indeed as interested as they are reported to be, they'll likely match any offer we make. If Ajax agree to the sales, there's almost no chance he's going to pick us over them in our current state.
was a different time. Ajax were on the brink of financial ruin in 2009-2010. Now we have €150 million in liquid assets saved up just sitting around with no direct purpose.
the point isn't whether those others would pay that much in January, it's the fact they'd (some of them anyway) almost definitely be willing to pay the same in the summer. And January moves, mid-season, are notoriously less stable than summer moves. Why would De Ligt put his longer-term prospects even slightly in jeopardy for 6 months?
completely different situation and player to Blind.
Interesting, so what's the direct purpose then?
That's actually the point what I'm trying to make, January's transfer is less stable but can happen and if it happens United will take the lead of signing De Ligt because no other clubs will spend a lot of money in January for a position that they don't required.
I don't get your statement about "De Ligt put his longer-term prospects". If he joins United in January he will be likely to play regularly means he will gets the same amount of games time he will get if he stays at Ajax. Why would getting a lot of games time at United be a problem?
Jose Mourinho desperate a new centre back in order to challenge the league or improve the squad, if he thinks De Ligt is ready and good enough to play for United now then he will tells Ed that he wants him. So if we are really going to sign De Ligt in January, we are likely to play him regularly now.
According to goal.com, front runners for a deal for both De Jong en De Ligt are now Barca and ManCity. ManCity currently would have the upperhand for De Jong, and Begiristain is negotiating with Overmars, where things are moving so well Barca fears a January buy-and-loan-back-move until the end of the season, which makes Barca desperate to get at least De Ligt, but for both they cannot match ManCity's financial power. Second choice if Barca can't get De Jong is said to be Pogba. No sources are mentioned.
They wont match Pogba's and Uniteds financial demands if they cant get De Jong and De Ligt financially. Pogba alone could cost as much as them together and his wage demands the same, probably more
goal.com
my point is exactly that January transfers are less stable, and that coming in as a desperate signing of an at-risk manager makes it even more of a risky move.
There's no reason to choose that over a more sensible summer move, especially for someone as level-headed as De Ligt.
It's called less sensible move because it has less preparation than the summer one, more time to adapt, and it has potential to kill the good rhyme of the team as well.
However in this case for Mourinho, signing a centre back should have been made in the last summer. It's not that he wanted a centre back because he just realised it now, it's because he knew all along before the season started that he needs a new centre back in his system.
For teams like Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern who never wanted a new centre back last summer, signing a new centre back in January is a less sensible move than next summer.
For our case right now. It's more sensible to get a new centre back in last summer or upcoming January than wait until next summer. If De Ligt is good enough in the manager's point of view then Mourinho will tell Ed he wants him, and if he joins us then he will play regular with us and by playing more games he will quickly adapt in a new league & team. Mourinho has worked with Varane a young centre back before and getting regular games time at United won't slow down his development.
No chance of Ajax selling De Ligt in january and neither will De Ligt be willing to leave Ajax in january. Nothing easy about a De Ligt january transfer. Maybe that buy and loan back thing is an option for them however. But they have too much to loose by letting him go immediately, little to gain. And for De Ligt, he's an Ajax player through and through, and now their captain, no way he'd leave them mid season or like try to force a move. The Suarez january sale comparison doesn't fly, anyone that knows a little about Ajax knows that, both the club and player were in very different circumstances.
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No surprises here, he’s phenomenal. Didn’t realize he was the captain though.
He's captained Ajax 31 games now. Hasn't lost a single one of them yet (touch wood)
I love what the club are doing at the moment. I’m guessing all the fans are very happy with Van der Sar and overmars?
@Ajaxsuarez I'm assuming your Dutch or living in the Netherlands?
How do Dutch players compare the premier league and United against teams such as Barca, Madrid, Juve? The spanish teams are naturally a draw for all players - but I wonder based on Uniteds history with Dutch players, a similar culture, they may have a greater liking of the PL.
How do Dutch players compare the premier league and United against teams such as Barca, Madrid, Juve? The spanish teams are naturally a draw for all players - but I wonder based on Uniteds history with Dutch players, a similar culture, they may have a greater liking of the PL.
Only now this season. 6 months ago they were quite unhappy. Overmars and Van der Sar were under a lot of pressure. Ajax hasn't won the league in 4 years which is seen as unacceptable, and a lot went wrong last season, quite a bit of drama with Bosz en Bergkamp. Van der Sar last season even tied his future at the club to the success of the newly appointed manager. And if Ajax don't win the league this season, and many of their best players leave in the summer, the pressure might well be back on Overmars and Van der Sar next season.
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They would probably regard Barca and Madrid as the biggest destination clubs, but the PL as the biggest league. And they will have been watching the PL as kids and regard United as its biggest club. Considering De Ligt, the transfer is for Barca to win or mess up. They have the glory, the play style, the history with Ajax, etc. The not so trustworthy reports claim Barca is trying to get a better deal than other contenders, and is offering less wages to De Ligt, trying to use this leverage, which is a bit arrogant (pay market price guys) so they could still mess it up.
I don't think United has a chance if Mourinho is still there next season because of his opposing football philosophy, but if they go to De Ligt with a story like "hey, Bosz (or some other more exciting manager) will be here next year, we'll also be getting your buddy Frenkie, and here's 150k/week for your first contract", he might be attracted. Worth a shot anyway. Yes United isn't doing well right now, but one could also argue to curve can only go up now while Barca will loose Messi at some point and the curve might go down.
Not for me personally, the strategy is sound now and is working, if PSV wins the league it doesn't mean it isn't working. PSV is an Eredivisie points machine, they can independently from how Ajax is doing get a record number of points, while Ajax still get the number of points that would win the championship 9/10 times. If that happens, congratulate PSV, but don't panic and continue what you're doing.
We should have signed him after the Europa final, it was clear he was class.
Dutch/Ajax fans...do you think United could get him? Would £100m be enough?
Dutch/Ajax fans...do you think United could get him? Would £100m be enough?