Dutch icon Pierre van Hooijdonk has warned players they need to force moves in the right way, after his own experience of it at Nottingham Forest.
It proved to be another difficult summer for Dutch giants Ajax, with a series of high-profile exits.
Two of those were to Manchester United, with Lisandro Martinez and Antony both reuniting with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
They both forced through the moves by going on strike and could have been joined by other teammates in the Premier League too.
Their efforts set something of an example and the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez, who themselves went on strike in an effort to join Everton and Chelsea.
The situation is something Van Hooijdonk has personal experience with, having gone on strike at Nottingham Forest when he was refused a move to PSV Eindhoven.
The situation worsened when Newcastle United also showed an interest in him and even made a bid, which was rejected, thus stopping Van Hooijdonk’s dreams of a move away.
“I had had a wonderful World Cup and then I was going to be sold,” NAC Fans report him saying.
“At the time, I could go to PSV in the winter break. They (Nottingham Forest) blocked that and I understood, because they wanted to promote to the Premier League straight away.
“Then the coach, who was also the manager, said: no, we won’t do that, we think that’s too little (the bid from Newcastle).
“Alan Shearer was sold to Newcastle for thirteen million, he had already scored one hundred or two hundred goals in the Premier League. And I was playing in the First Division…
“That’s the same as asking 40 euros for a cup of coffee. I went back in October. If you do it, you have to do it well.
“Nottingham gave me a fine of two weeks wages every fortnight. In the end I earned nothing, but that was fine by me too. You have to start playing again at a certain point, otherwise you are completely gone.
“I then got a clause in my contract that I could be sold for £3.5 million at the end of the season.”
