The Englishman Graham Potter is still the biggest contender to become the new coach of Ajax, says club watcher Lentin Goodijk in a video item from Football International. Erik ten Hag is also still in the picture, but the chance that the current Manchester United coach is available in the short term and is open to a return to the Johan Cruijff ArenA seems to be getting smaller.
It is equally clear that Potter, Ten Hag and OGC Nice coach Francesco Farioli are the main candidates on the Amsterdam team’s wish list. Goodijk sees the arrival of Ten Hag as a difficult story: “In itself he would fit in very well, but it is very questionable whether that will work. He has a continuous contract with Manchester United, is happy there and wants to principle is not gone,” the club watcher explains. “And: there is another FA Cup final coming up (on May 25, ed.), which will also take a while. I very much wonder whether there will be clarity about his future before then, and Ajax actually wants to have clarity quickly. They want to have a trainer one of these weeks, before the end of the season.”
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Further on, Goodijk calls the 35-year-old Farioli, who is currently fifth in Ligue 1 with Nice, ‘also a very interesting trainer’. “Ajax has been to Nice to talk to him, so that is certainly a candidate. I don’t think he is at the top of the list at the moment. But: Ten Hag remains to be seen whether that will work, Potter is only the I wonder if that will work.” The Italian (‘five years younger than Remko Pasveer’, Goodijk jokes) is in any case an excellent ‘plan C’ with his past as a philosophy student and assistant under Roberto De Zerbi. “He is a real football nut, who lives for innovation, tactical tricks and the individual development of players. Ideally, Ajax is looking for an experienced head coach, but also a football nut who can move towards the future, so in that context he is quite a logical candidate. “
However, that does not alter the fact that the chances for the Englishman Potter are really the greatest, Goodijk notes. “At the moment it seems that he is the most logical candidate to become Ajax’s new trainer. Because he has everything Ajax is looking for.” Reports that there is already a (financial) agreement with the former coach of Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea seem a bit premature to the journalist: “I don’t have the feeling that it is already in a final phase. They have to financially, but there are also some other conditions that need to be arranged. I think he is still on gardening leave at Chelsea, if he goes to another club, things still need to be arranged.” In addition, competition from abroad is lurking: “He has other options, at clubs that offer a lot more. I don’t believe that money is his only motivation, but it is so much money that it makes sense to take a break there.” to think about it carefully.”
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