Incoming new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag looking to recreate the Ajax model by increasing player value
According to the Mirror, incoming new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is looking forward to working with the club’s young players and turning them into future champions in order to either win silverware or cash in to generate revenue.
The Dutch boss is keen to recreate the model he employed while at Ajax Amsterdam, which is to increase his players’ value by putting them through intensive individual programmes that yield results.
ten Hag gave the Eredivisie club’s example as a success story, saying that other clubs were looking for top Ajax players and were willing to spend a lot of money for them. He referred to stars such as Ryan Gravenberch, Jurriën Timber, Antony, and Sebastien Haller to drive home his point.
“A lot of clubs are looking at the top players now at Ajax. If they cannot be kept, they will generate a lot of money for Ajax. There is massive interest in players like Ryan Gravenberch, Jurriën Timber, Brazilian forward Antony and Sebastien Haller.”
While players such as Gravenberch and Timber were developed from the youth teams and thrust into the senior side, the manager made stars out of Antony and Haller by signing them from abroad and changing their careers.
“There is a massive amount of capital on the pitch”
Now, the Dutchman wants to weave the same magic on the squad he is inheriting in Manchester. He has identified youngsters like Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, and Anthony Elanga to work on and improve, repeating the same tricks he used while at Ajax.
The 52-year-old referred to how his role at Ajax helped the club not only create future superstars, but also a massive amount of capital on the pitch. He also predicted that the Amsterdam side will rake in at least another 100 million Euros in the summer.
“We have created a team again that is not only top class in a sporting way, but also economically big value. There is a massive amount of capital on the pitch. Ajax will sell players for at least another 100 million Euros this summer.”
While ten Hag has worked wonders at Ajax, his new club are going through a rut. They have failed to qualify for the Champions League during the current campaign, and are still not assured of a Europa League spot until the final game week of the season.
Furthermore, the Dutchman is coming off the back of a hat-trick of Eredivisie titles into a side that has failed to win silverware in over five years. With a lot of players departing in the summer when their contracts expire, he is also expected to oversee a squad rebuild.
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Clearly, the task on the manager’s hands is no easy feat and will require a lot of planning and execution. However, he has a vision for the club that is based on a model that has brought him much success, and the hope is that it bears similar effects at Old Trafford.
He has already identified a core group of youngsters that he can work with and develop in the coming years. If he manages to get a few talented signings in through the doors in the upcoming summer transfer window, then he could perhaps repeat his trick in Manchester.
