Manchester United assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag may be an unlikely candidate for Ajax to replace Maurice Steijn as he would have to ‘give up everything’ for the switch.
That’s according to journalist Mikos Gouka, who doubts whether the Manchester United man would be willing to make the switch to the Dutch club.
Ajax are expected to be on the hunt for a new manager sooner rather than later, with an increasing belief that Maurice Steijn will be sacked after a disastrous start to the season that has left them in the bottom three.
There is a growing demand that the Dutch giants reset and try to get back to where they were not long ago, winning trophies and competing in the latter stages of the Champions League.
Indeed, many would like to see them rebuild what they had under former manager Erik ten Hag, who was arguably their most successful manager in some time.
That’s seen his current Manchester United assistant Van der Gaag linked with a potential return to the club, but Gouka has doubts about that.
“If they lose in Europe this week, they will be out of the Europa League. In the competition they are 22 points behind PSV, which could be 25 after the weekend. What do you still have to achieve?” he said.
“If you get in now, you also know that if it only lasts until the end of the season, there is not much to be won. Then, like Ajax, you have to embark on a longer process.
“But does a club where things are so bad dare is going to say to a trainer: ‘You are our man for the next two and a half or three years?’
“I don’t think they are in line in that regard. On the other hand, it is Ajax, and it is so big that every trainer would in principle want to work there.
“Would he (Van der Gaag) be willing to give up everything for it? Maybe in the past, but I don’t know if that’s that easy now.”
