Sergiño Dest is in the strong interest of Bayern Munich, but Ajax trainer Erik ten Hag doesn’t want to lose the American international. Should the right back be sold to the German superpower after all, the Amsterdammers will enter the transfer market for a replacement, Ten hag told Friday at the press conference in the run-up to the game with RKC Waalwijk on Sunday. “I want him to stay. In case of another outcome we have to transfer”, said Ten Hag.

The journalists present had little interest in the game against RKC during the press moment, but asked Ten Hag the shirt off his body about the situation of Dest. The coach initially tried to avoid the questions of FOX Sports presenter Milan van Dongen. “Dest is a player of Ajax, he just trained. There is so much interest in more of our players,” said Ten Hag, who didn’t want to bring any news. “If there’s news we’ll report it on our website.”

Ten Hag stressed to the journalists that he would rather not see Dest leave. “But if it should happen, which I’d rather not, then it’s a bit thin there”, he referred to the right back position. When Dest is sold, Ajax is expected to enter the transfer market. “I’m not in favour of it, but if it happens we’ll take a look.”

After Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) and Donny van de Beek (Manchester United), Ajax may deliver another player to the European top in a relatively short time. “You know what’s beautiful?”, Ten Hag continues. “It is again a player of Ajax who is in the interest of a top club. How many clubs in Europe have done that in the last two years? Disadvantage as a coach is that you have to start again for the second year in a row. You have to have a trained team, because soon the Champions League will start again”.

Dest was on the bench last Sunday when Ajax took on Het Kasteel against Sparta Rotterdam (0-1 win). According to Ten Hag, that spot on the bench had nothing to do with the transfer problems. After all, he thinks Noussair Mazraoui is further than Dest at the moment. The coach also confirmed that Lisandro Martínez can be deployed again. The Argentinean was missing last week because of an injury.