Dutch Eredivisie special: Ajax Amsterdam must hold on to star players
The Eredivisie 2010/11 season concluded with Ajax Amsterdam being crowned the Dutch champions. All eyes are now on the summer transfer market where the newly crowned Eredivisie champions face a mass exodus of their star players, who performed impressively throughout the recently concluded season.
Victims of their own success, the Amsterdammers face an exodus to their back-line which provided rock solid http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Toby-Alderweireld-c35183 and Nicolai Boilesen have all attracted interest from a host of elite European clubs who are eager to take their signatures in the ongoing summer transfer market.
Furthermore, De Joden’s first choice goalkeeper, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Maarten-Stekelenburg-c22998, is also being heavily linked with a move away from Amsterdam ahead of the 2011/12 season. Manchester United, Juventus FC and Atletico Madrid remain his admirers.
Furthermore, Ajax not only face problems warding off top European clubs’ interest in their defenders, they also fear for departures from their midfield and the frontline.
In the season ended, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 FC to line up for his signature. However, the Ajax management can have a sigh of relief after the 19-year-old playmaker denied moving abroad at this point of his career.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Siem-de-Jong-c33482, who started the 2010/11 season as a central midfielder under the leadership of Martin Jol, continued to perform exceptionally under the new leadership of Frank de Boer. Though the 22-year-old scored only three goals in 15 appearances in the first half of the campaign, he proved his worth under Boer’s stewardship, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in just the 17 appearances.
Rumours are rife that a host of top European clubs are chasing the 22-year-old. However, the Amsterdammers management has revealed that their starlet remains without a bid – a moment of relief.
Expectations are sky-high for the Amsterdammers to perform successfully in the Dutch top tier and in UEFA Champions League in the upcoming season. However, to achieve success in Europe, the newly crowned Eredivisie champions certainly have to bring reinforcements to their squad and hold on to their star players, who made the Eredivisie triumph possible in the season ended.
With the summer transfer market now open for almost a month, the Amsterdammers would be content as they have held on to their prized assets, so far at least. Better still, they have already strengthened their squad for the upcoming season by signing Theo Janssen, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Derk-Boerrigter-c10972.
Janssen made was lured in from the KNVB beker Cup winners, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ajax-Cape-Town-c38250 and made his dream move to Amsterdam earlier this month.
With acquisitions of two youngsters and a veteran midfielder, the Amsterdammers’ chances of effectively defending their titles look bright. However, much work still needs to be done. Should they sell star performers from last season, their chances of glory in the upcoming season would be severely hampered.
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