In the near future, Ajax will have to orientate on who should be the first goalkeeper now that Maarten Stekelenburg has to undergo hip surgery and seems to have been cut out. Erik ten Hag currently has first goalkeeper Remko Pasveer, the relatively inexperienced Jay Gorter and also former first choice André Onana, whose suspension ends in November. Hiring a new goalkeeper is also an option.
Joop Hiele expects that Ajax will look for a goalkeeper abroad this time, after director of football affairs Marc Overmars chose to recruit Pasveer and Gorter in the summer. “There is currently no first keeper for Ajax in the Netherlands, so I think they will scout abroad. I don’t dare say who they should buy,” the former goalkeeper told the NOS. “Jasper Cillessen? Let him first get completely fit and make minutes at Valencia.”
“I am convinced that Ajax will find a good keeper with its scouting equipment.” According to Hiele, Pasveer is a good Eredivisie goalkeeper. In the Eredivisie, he has the highest save percentage of all goalkeepers. “But he misses the Champions League level…” Sander Westerveld joins Hiele, for him Pasveer is not the ideal keeper for Ajax either. “If they can’t come to an agreement with Onana, I would look for a new keeper during the transfer period,” advises the former the Dutch international.
From a sporting point of view, the choice to make Onana the first goalkeeper again seems logical, but the contract troubles after the doping affair also play a role. “I wouldn’t even allow him back at the club. Because of him alone, Ajax is in trouble. He should have signed a year with a limited transfer fee as a compensation for his mistake in the whole doping scandal,” Westerveld said.
Ten Hag emphasized earlier this season that Gorter, 21, still needs to take a number of steps in the pecking order before Pasveer’s turn. “Gorter did very well last season at Go Ahead Eagles, of course, but the step from the Kitchen Champion Division to Ajax is really big,” says Hiele. “You saw it last season with Kjell Scherpen. He did very well at FC Emmen, but ultimately also fell short for Ajax.” Westerveld is also clear about Gorter. “He’s not ready yet.”