Ajax want key Arsenal figure who used to work for Man Utd

Managerless Ajax have been tipped to make a move for a key Arsenal figure, according to reports from a prominent Dutch journalist. The Amsterdam giants are currently enduring their worst ever start to the season since the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands back in 1954 - they find themselves second bottom in the league in 17th with just one win from their opening seven games.

The four-time European champions are viewed as the biggest team in the country but have struggled hugely since the departure of Erik Ten Hag in 2022. Ajax finished last season in 3rd position, behind rivals PSV and Feyenoord, which resulted in the dismissal of Lafred Schreuder midway through last season.

But matters have quickly gone from bad to worse and the 36-time Dutch league winners won just two of their 11 games under Maurice Steijn who was sacked after four months. His last game proved to be a disappointing 4-3 defeat to FC Utrecht. This result was especially damaging given that it was against one of the few teams below them in the table at the time and Steijn’s team broke the unwanted record of losing four leagues in a row for the first time since 1999.

Ajax have two games in hand on the teams around them in the league and whoever inherits the job will be tasked with instantly picking the club’s season off the ground. A number of names have been mentioned for the high profile vacancy and Dutch journalist Milos Gouka has backed the club to make a move for Arsenal assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg.

Speaking on AD Voetbal podcast, he said: “You need a trainer who knows how to create patterns for attacking football. I don’t know whether he would do it, but Albert Stuivenberg, who sits very close to Arteta at Arsenal, would be someone who would teach football Ajax can bring in. But I have no idea whether he would want that.”

Stuivenberg has worked as Arsenal’s assistant coach since 2019 and has been an integral member of Arteta’s setup since his arrival. He is known in Dutch football for a spell as the nations U17 coach where he led them to two European Championships in 2011 and 2012. While he is also credited for work with the U21 team.

Stuivenberg worked as assistant coach to Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United and had a close association with Ryan Giggs who he followed into the role of assistant coach at Wales. Stuivenberg’s only experience in management came during a year in Belgium with Genk between December 2016 and December 2017.In that 12 month period, he is credited with guiding the club to the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the first ever time, but was sacked for a poor start to the league season in 2017/18.