Marc Overmars expects David Neres to leave Ajax this summer. The director of football affairs of the Amsterdammers gives opposite Football International to know that there are currently no clubs concrete for the 24-year-old Brazilian, but that that could change quickly. On the other hand, Overmars hopes that Nicolás Tagliafico will stay at Ajax for another year.
Ajax has set itself the goal of raising fifty million euros every transfer year. Lassina Traoré and Kjell Scherpen were sold this summer for ten and five million euros respectively. “With André Onana we had of course counted on more, with David Neres it is also uncertain what he will yield,” says Overmars. “It is quiet around Tagliafico, I hope he stays. Without a crisis, all three would have been gone for a long time. That also presents us with choices in attracting players. We also had keepers of fifteen million euros on our list. I went for Remko Pasveer. I have found him to be a very stable keeper for years.”
Overmars does not want to let Edson Álvarez, who is in the interest of Stade Rennes, leave, but is still counting on two outgoing transfers. “A departure of a player like Onana and David Neres makes sense. Players who have been playing with us for four and five years. Then we take them further, they are ready for the next step. But Antony has only been playing with us for a year. In terms of development, he can still grow considerably with us. It is true that we are now well occupied in that position with Antony, David Neres and Steven Berghuis. But that will resolve itself, I think. It does not have to be difficult , because then Neres will be the one who will look further. I expect that something will still happen there, even though it is now quiet.”
“I know he would like to take that step,” continues Overmars about Neres. “But yes, that category of clubs, that remains to be seen. He was able to go to China two and a half years ago, for more than forty million euros, but I do not regret it at all, because that also brought us that wonderful year. He made the decisive goal against PSV, scored important goals against Real Madrid and Juventus. That would not have happened if we had sold him in December. If it is now x amount less, then so be it. We always go for the sporty story.”