Ajax has fully completed its transfer policy for this summer, Maurice Steijn confirms prior to the return in the play-offs of the Europa League against Ludogorets. The team from Amsterdam will take over Sivert Mannsverk from Molde FK and will then be ready on the transfer market. Steijn gives in front of the camera Ziggo Sport not fully got his way. “I have expressed my preference. For various reasons, that did not succeed or happen,” says the Ajax trainer.
Steijn insisted on new players with Dutch nationality at director of football affairs Sven Mislintat, but only got Branco van den Boomen. The other ten purchases all have a foreign nationality, no fewer than nine of which are different. “I have expressed my preference, but it is what it is. Then we will make the best of it with this group. It is primarily about quality. That is true. But if you can achieve the same quality with Dutch nationality, then that’s my preference.”
“They are also ten different nationalities, so that can make it difficult.” Still, Steijn sees perspective. “A large core has remained. Even if you see who is in the field tonight: six, seven guys from our own training. We will fill the positions that have become vacant with the new players, it’s that simple.”
Ajax will miss Steven Berghuis against Ludogorets on Thursday. “Berghuis is too ill to start. I hope he gets through the warm-up and then I can bring him in the second half.” Mohammed Kudus, good for a hat-trick against Ludogorets (4-1 win) last week, has been sold to West Ham United. “Kudus is a player for whom the public comes to the stadium. Great actions that he increasingly linked to returns.”
“Carlos Forbs starts on the right today”, Steijn clarifies. “He is better on the left, but Steven Bergwijn is really number one there for me. It is still thin on the right at the moment, also because a number of players are not yet available. Berghuis not yet, and Georges (Mikautadze, ed.) not yet.”
Setup Ajax: Gorter; Rensch, Medic, Hato, Wijndal; Tahirovic, Taylor, Van den Boomen; Forbs, Brobbey, Bergwijn.
Line-up Ludogorets: Sluga; Witry, Sonko-Sundberg, Verdon, Heister; Yordanov, Goncalves, Piotrowski; Caio Vidal, Rwan Seco, Tekpetey.