Arsenal, Man Utd risk losing key figures as Ajax begin Dutch hunt, with Liverpool man also on radar

Ajax reportedly have Arsenal and Manchester United assistant managers Albert Stuivenberg and Mitchell van der Gaag on their shortlist to become their next boss.

Ajax have been unfortunate in terms of their managerial situation for a while. Since Erik ten Hag left for Manchester United in the summer of 2022, five different men have had the top job at the club.

The short shelf life of managers at the club is somewhat due to their poor performance.

After Ten Hag won the Eredivisie title three times between 2018/19 and 2021/22, Ajax have dropped off.

Last season, they finished third in the table, and they are currently way off the pace in fifth, with interim manager John van ‘t Schip at the helm.

His tenure will soon come to an end, and the Dutch giants are looking at managers who can bring the glory days back.

According to Voetbal International, there is a five-man shortlist of names being looked at.

Each of them are men with knowledge of Dutch football – Ajax largely recruit Dutchmen to manage the side, and it does not look as if the next appointment will be different.

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Prem duo on shortlist

That report states Frank de Boer, Joseph Oosting and Dick Shreuder are all being looked at, as is Mikel Arteta’s right-hand man at Arsenal, Stuivenberg, and Ten Hag’s United no.2, Van der Gaag.

The report focuses on interest in Stuivenberg, who has dedicated himself to Arsenal since stepping away from the Wales coaching staff in 2021.

However, given the chance to take a job of his own on, it’s stated he could be tempted.

Arteta worked in the shadow of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before becoming a top boss in his own right at Arsenal, and his assistant could follow that same path.

Liverpool’s Lijnders on list

Another Premier League assistant on the list, as per Paul Joyce, is Pep Lijnders.

The Dutchman will leave Liverpool alongside Jurgen Klopp in the summer, so the Reds are already going to be deprived of his services, and Ajax would not be the reason for that.

The Dutch club won’t care if they have to snatch the right man from another club, though, so there seems to be no reason why Lijnders would be above either of the other Premier League candidates.

In any case, he is ‘under consideration’ and the club will surely think long and hard about who they want to take them forwards.

All the Premier League assistants have had the chance to learn from some top bosses, so could well blossom into very good coaches themselves.

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