Ajax

Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt has said he is not distracted by the consistent rumours surrounding his future and is focusing only on playing for his club and the Netherlands national team. 

The 19-year-old centre-back has been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, per Sacha Pisani of Goal.

It seems likely the 2018 Golden Boy award winner will leave Ajax in the summer, along with his club and country team-mate Frenkie de Jong, who has already agreed to join Barca.

But, with Ajax fighting for the Eredivisie title and preparing for a UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Juventus, De Ligt has said he is only thinking about the present, per Esporte Interativo (h/t Pisani):

"I play my game, focus on football and we'll see where I end up. It is not something that worries me. I am currently playing for Ajax and the national team, so that is what I'm focusing on. I'm gaining experience and I like it."

De Ligt is widely considered one of the brightest young talents in European football and has enormous potential:

Matthijs de Ligt going straight to the top 🙌 pic.twitter.com/MF0VxNdehV

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 16, 2019

Given the relative dearth of top quality young centre-backs available on the transfer market, it is little surprise he has been linked to such huge clubs.

Barca are reportedly leading the race to sign him:

Barcelona have reportedly bid €60m for Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt, according to @Sport_EN pic.twitter.com/bm4vxHtLlm

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 20, 2019

And De Ligt would be a fantastic long-term replacement for Gerard Pique, now 32, at the Camp Nou.

The Netherlands international looks perfectly suited for the Blaugrana as he boasts fantastic ability with the ball at his feet as well as excellent defensive attributes:

Matthijs de Ligt: Has a better pass success rate (91.8%) than any other player aged 23 and under in the Eredivisie this season

For more player stats -- https://t.co/oISzb2xYTa pic.twitter.com/6RtQTNDW6A

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) November 15, 2018

Juventus could also be competitors for De Ligt's signature as their back line is ageing, with Giorgio Chiellini now 34 and Leonardo Bonucci nearly 32.

Ajax are interested in securing the returns of Tottenham Hotspur centre-backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

The Eredivisie club's sporting director, Marc Overmars, revealed he's asked about the availability of both defenders but called for patience when assessing the chances of bringing the pair back to Amsterdam this summer.

Overmars spoke to AjaxTV (h/t Fox Sports and Metro): "We have to be patient and see what the future holds."

It may not be long before Overmars and Co. find out what is in store for Vertonghen and Alderweireld. Both are under contract until the end of the 2019/20 campaign, but the latter's deal contains a clause making him available for £25 million this summer.

Alderweireld continues to be linked with Tottenham's Premier League rivals Manchester United.

While Overmars may be prepared to take a wait-and-see approach, even a hint Ajax are targeting two of their former players will generate excitement among the fanbase. Belgium international teammates Alderweireld and Vertonghen both enjoyed productive spells at the Johan Cruyff Arena earlier in their careers.

Vertonghen, 31, won two league titles and a pair of KNVB Cups with Ajax. He partnered Alderweireld at the heart of a capable and versatile back line.

The two eventually reunited in north London where they have become key figures for Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. He still relies on their experience, aggression and technique to underpin a talented squad yet to make the jump to consistent trophy winners.

A lack of silverware could prompt Tottenham's most-experienced central defenders to move on ahead of schedule. Ajax would likely welcome both as Overmars gets ready to refresh a squad set to lose some young stars this summer.

Frenkie de Jong, 21, has already agreed to join Barcelona at the end of the season. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Matthijs de Ligt is also being heavily linked with the Blaugrana.

Barca are set to meet with Overmars on "Monday or Tuesday" to discuss a player also wanted by a host of top clubs, including Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t MailOnline's James Dutton).

De Jong: ✅
De Ligt: 🤔

Operation Cruyff is underway. pic.twitter.com/0n6bmjE4S2

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 20, 2019

While Ajax are likely going to have a need for defensive reinforcements, Pochettino will be in no rush to let Vertonghen and Alderweireld go. Davinson Sanchez, another former Ajax stalwart, is ready for a bigger role, but doubts may persist about Juan Foyth's ability to make a similar step up.

Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico said "it's great" to hear of interest from the likes of Barcelona, but he is not thinking about the future as he is "enjoying life" with the Dutch club. 

Per MailOnline, the Argentinian is rumoured to be a target for Barca, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.

On the Catalan giants' interest, he told Mundo Deportivo (h/t MailOnline): "It's great that they talk about me, because that means things are going well. But I can only focus on the present."

However, he added: "I am enjoying life and football. We are privileged as footballers. Our work is something fascinating and something we love to do. I enjoy playing for the national team and my club. I can't think of what's coming, that's disrespectful to my club."

Tagliafico has caught the eye since he moved to Ajax in January last year, and he has continued to impress with the Dutch side this season after being one of Argentina's better performers at the FIFA World Cup.

StatsBomb offered some insight into how he's fared in the Eredivisie, where he's helped Ajax to second place after 26 matches:

Nicolas Tagliafico, Ajax 18-19. Rumoured to be a potential fullback target for Arsenal this summer. pic.twitter.com/ljkTbbCe7V

— Hudl Statsbomb (@Statsbomb) March 13, 2019

He has five goals and as many assists in all competitions this season, with three of his strikes coming in the UEFA Champions League.

Tagliafico put in a strong showing over two legs as Ajax knocked out Real Madrid in the round of 16, and his performances on the European stage will have only enhanced the interest in him.

TalkSport's Lee Roden believes Atletico could be a viable destination:

Re: inevitable Ajax summer raid: Tagliafico to Atleti has been simmering in background this season & with Filipe Luis out of contract seems like an obvious move. Player didn't exactly pour water on it either ("if Simeone is looking it's because I'm doing something well").

— Lee Roden (@LeeRoden89) March 7, 2019

At the Camp Nou, Tagliafico would have the unenviable task of unseating Jordi Alba to become Barcelona's first-choice left-back.

That would seem unlikely in the near future, so he'd have to be content with a back-up role at least in the short term. 

Alba turned 30 on Thursday, so there could be some scope for taking over further down the line, and in the meantime Tagliafico could provide depth and some competition for his position.

As for Arsenal, Nacho Monreal is now 33, while Sead Kolasinac is much more convincing going forward than he is at defending, so there's plenty of room there for Tagliafico to nail down a starting berth.

As their sensational performance inside the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday sinks in, so too does the realisation that we only have a couple of months to enjoy this wonderful Ajax side.

Such is the club model in Amsterdam, stars are born...and then sold. It's all part of the club philosophy—they take as much pride in seeing their homegrown talent flourish elsewhere as they do when they break into the Ajax first team.

That 4-1 UEFA Champions League round-of-16 second-leg victory over Real Madrid will go down in the history books. Even for a club that has won the European Cup/Champions League on four occasions, it was extremely special.

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But the simple truth is that the team is going to be broken up over the summer. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who was mightily impressive in Madrid and left 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric on his backside, was the first to be sold and others will follow.

De Jong agreed a move to Barcelona in January, and now we wait to see how many others follow him through the exit door.

"Ajax fans have come to expect their players to leave and they are prepared for several key players going this summer," explains Michael Bell, founder of Dutch football website Football-Oranje. "There is a sense of pride around the De Jong move to Barcelona, and the same will be felt when Matthijs de Ligt goes.

"The realism is that Ajax can't continually compete with the money they can receive abroad, and fans know this. As long as they stay for a few years and give their all, then fans are happy for them."

So which players are most likely to leave?

                    

Matthijs de Ligt

Barcelona lead the race for Ajax's brilliant central defender and captain, and the fact that he could team up with De Jong makes it all the more enticing. According to sources in Holland, the player has his heart set on a switch to the Camp Nou but is trying not to become distracted by the dream. If it doesn't work out, Liverpool are keen—but there are doubts about whether they will pay the £75 million required for a 19-year-old defender.

                     

Nicolas Tagliafico 

He is being watched by many clubs, and Real Madrid have been linked with the 26-year-old Argentinian left-back—but Bleacher Report understands that Arsenal scouts have also made checks on him in recent months, as there are some fears that Nacho Monreal may depart. Tagliafico is almost certain to leave.

                   

Donny van de Beek

Donny van de Beek shines almost every week in his midfield role, yet he does not get the same headlines that some around him do. He has caught the eye of Everton, who shelled out £23.6 million on Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen in 2017. Klaassen was a disappointment and was sold a year later to Werder Bremen after making just seven Premier League appearances for the Toffees, but they do not appear to be put off by that.

There is interest from Serie A too, which may be a better fit. All the top clubs from Italy have dispatched scouts to watch him, but AC Milan have seemed most serious about their intent. 

                     

Hakim Ziyech

He's been watched by Leicester City, who saw him as a Riyad Mahrez replacement thanks to his wand of a left foot, but now bigger clubs are wondering whether to take a punt. Morocco international Hakim Ziyech joined from FC Twente in 2016 and has proved himself as a consistent creator of goals. B/R sources at Liverpool suggested he is on their watch list, while Borussia Dortmund and AS Roma have both made serious enquiries.

Ajax with a performance worthy of legends pic.twitter.com/xaEnnrSZXw

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 5, 2019

There are going to be transfer rumours around Dusan Tadic too, who was the star player in Madrid. He is being monitored by Bayern Munich, but the player seems happy in Amsterdam and has indicated to club officials he would like to stay for next season.

"Ajax actively encourage their young players to play and develop in the first team, which leads to them being aware of their responsibilities on the pitch at a very young age, and that in turn stands them in good stead for the remainder of their careers," explains Dutch football expert James Rowe.

"It is realistic that the club could reject potential bids for other players in the summer. In recent seasons, they turned down a bid from AS Monaco for Kasper Dolberg, and Hakim Ziyech was targeted by Dortmund in January 2018. The club always try to hold out for the best possible fee. Selling is part of the model but they also realise that they have a duty to remain competitive both at home and abroad hence why the current crop of players have remained together."

With such talent and unity in the team, it seems strange from the outside that any player would want to go anywhere else right now—even if it is expected of them.

There is also the high-profile case of 19-year-old Justin Kluivert to serve as a warning siren. He left to join Roma last summer in a bid to push himself forward but has seen his progress stunted after starting just 12 games. 

"There is an argument that some should stay, and they only have to look at what's happening with Kluivert at Roma for sure," said Bell. "But there is only so much these players can learn playing teams like ADO or Emmen each week, teams that sit back and defend in their own half.

"The quality of the Eredivisie means they need to leave in order to progress fully. The Champions League ties are a bonus and they offer a great incentive for players to join the club, but until the Eredivisie improves, young talents will always be looking abroad."

Never fear, though: Ajax will not stand still. They have already begun to look at up-and-coming stars who would slot into their format. One of those on the radar is Martin Odegaard, according to B/R sources.

Odegaard, 20, is on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie from Real Madrid, and though he will return to the La Liga side in the summer, his head may be turned by the prospect of a big stage to play regular first-team football.

There is more young talent ready to come through from the Ajax academy too.

"In terms of young players who are looking good ahead of next season, I would say Perr Schuurs is one to look out for—he's a central defender who was signed from Fortuna Sittard in 2018," says Rowe. "He also captained Fortuna at the age of 17 before arriving at Ajax, and I believe that he would further his development in being promoted to the Ajax first-team squad.

"He is similar to Matthijs de Ligt in terms of poise and composure in defence.

"Also, Dani de Wit is one to look out for—he is a very quick midfielder who often makes surging runs forward to open up an opposition's defence."

That incredible night in Madrid may prove to be the undoing of this wonderful side, but there will always be new talent to replace them—that's just the Ajax way.

Dusan Tadic earned a rare perfect rating from French newspaper L'Equipe following his performance for Ajax against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, joining a select group of players to receive the mark that includes Lionel Messi and Neymar. 

The Serbia international was sensational in the 4-1 win for the Dutch giants, helping them earn a 5-3 victory on aggregate in the last-16 tie. He set up two goals in the first period—the second of which came after a stunning piece of skill and run—before netting himself with a pinpoint effort from outside the area in the second.

So good was Tadic, he joined a small stable of players to earn a rating of 10 from L'Equipe, as Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC relayed:

Ajax’s Dusan Tadic with the rare 10/10 rating from L’Equipe ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/74EZl5tIsz

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) March 6, 2019

As evidenced above, while Tadic was given top marks, there were some low scores for some Real Madrid players. Casemiro was given just one, while Toni Kroos and Thibaut Courtois picked up twos.

French football journalist Rich Allen noted just how rare it is for the French newspaper to dish out a perfect score:

The 10 to receive the 10/10 L'Equipe rating:

1. Franck Sauzee (1988)
2. Bruno Martini (1988)
3. Oleg Salenko (1994)
4. Lars Windfeld (1997)
5. Lionel Messi (2010)
6. Lionel Messi (2012)
7. Robert Lewandowski (2013)
8. Carlos Eduardo (2014)
9. Neymar (2018)
10. Dusan Tadic (2019)

— Rich Allen 🔴⚫ (@rich_allen85) March 6, 2019

Here are some of Tadic's best moments from his incredible display (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1103082768064487425

Few will argue that Tadic deserved this individual mark, as he was the key man in Ajax producing one of the biggest shocks in Europe in recent years.

While they performed well in a 2-1 loss to Madrid in the first leg of the tie, few anticipated the Dutch side would be able to turn things around at the Santiago Bernabeu. After all, Real have won the last three Champions League titles in a row.

However, early goals from Hakim Ziyech and David Neres put the Amsterdam giants in control of the contest, before Tadic's goal made it 3-0. Madrid did threaten to rally after Marco Asensio reduced the deficit, although Lasse Schone made the game safe with a free-kick.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said it was a performance reminiscent of some of the great Ajax sides:

https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/1103043540475658243

"This is probably the best game of football I've ever played," Tadic said afterwards to Veronica TV (h/t Sacha Pisani of Goal). "... We have a very good team and we play nice football. [Zinedine] Zidane was always my favourite player. Maybe I was watching too many of his clips."

Following a transfer from Southampton in the summer, Tadic has been exceptional for the Eredivisie outfit:

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1103217402668441600

While usually an attacking midfielder, on Tuesday he lined up at the point of the Ajax attack, with Ziyech and Neres either side. From there, Tadic dropped into space and was able to turn and drive at the opposition defence frequently.

The night was the high point of Tadic's career, and Ajax supporters will be hopeful there is still more to come. After all, on this evidence there aren't many sides who will relish going up the Dutch outfit and their inspired attacking lineup.

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars has conceded that his club will "have no choice" but to sell Matthijs de Ligt in the summer, and he backed the centre-back to "go to a top club."

The 19-year-old defensive star is already Ajax captain and is widely considered to be one of the best young players in the world. Back in December the Dutchman won the 2018 Golden Boy award, given to the best player under the age of 21 in Europe.

De Ligt has been linked to a number of Europe's biggest clubs, including Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United and Barcelona, who have already snapped up his team-mate and compatriot Frenkie de Jong. 

Overmars, a former Barcelona player, said Ajax are not happy about having to let their best young players go, but he understands the widespread interest in De Ligt, per AS (h/t Football Italia):

"Matthijs can play anywhere, he can easily play for one of the six best teams in the world. He has incredible gifts: he has strength, mentality and heart. If I worked somewhere else, I’d do anything to sign him.

"We don’t need to sell him. We don’t need money, but I know he’ll go to a top club. Selling our best players? We don’t want to, but we have no choice. My job is to manage a top team, but we can’t keep our players if Real Madrid or Barcelona, who can afford to keep [Jasper] Cillessen on the bench for four years, come knocking."

Ajax face a huge challenge on Tuesday to overturn a 2-1 deficit in the UEFA Champions League last 16 against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

In the first leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena last month, the Dutch outfit levelled through Hakim Ziyech after Karim Benzema's opener, only for Marco Asensio to score an 87th minute winner to put Real in control of the tie.

De Ligt will be key to Ajax's attempts to turn the tie around. His excellent performances in the Champions League this season have been indicative of just how mature a player he already is:

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Raphael Varane vs Matthijs de Ligt

Can De Ligt inspire Ajax to a famous victory or will Varane step up in the absence of Sergio Ramos?

Real Madrid vs Ajax match preview -- https://t.co/kqglBCyyzd pic.twitter.com/KncCRyB9NP

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) March 5, 2019

Ajax have already enjoyed their best Champions League campaign of recent seasons as they made it out of their group for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

Real are the three-time defending champions and have won the famous trophy a record 13 times. However, it is not out of the question that Ajax might cause an upset.

Real have been a long way from their best this term after losing manager Zinedine Zidane and star player Cristiano Ronaldo, and they are currently reeling after back-to-back home defeats to Barcelona. 

The familiar tune of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" has been used at Johan Cruijff ArenA for Ajax games since 2008. 

Now, the origin of the classic song serving as a rallying cry for the club has been revealed in a B/R Football video. 

Even though Marley's legendary song has become a staple at sporting events around the world—notably with the 2013 Boston Red Sox during their run to the World Series—more than 50,000 fans singing in unison at Johan Cruijff ArenA is a one-of-a-kind experience.

This is the story of how AFC Ajax found their song.

Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" has become part of the club's traditions, but it began in Jamaica and travelled through Wales and England before it was cemented into Ajax folklore for good when Bob's son Ky-Mani Marley sang it with the fans in the stadium.

The journey that took Ajax back to the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in 13 years began on a warm Amsterdam evening last July.

Facing Austrian side Sturm Graz in the first leg of a second qualifying round tie at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Erik ten Hag's team prevailed 2-0 courtesy of goals from Hakim Ziyech and Lasse Schone.

In the second half, two players came off the bench to make significant appearances. Dusan Tadic, a summer signing from Southampton, made his debut, and Daley Blind played his first game since returning to Ajax after four years at Manchester United.

Tadic cost a reported initial fee of €11.4 million, while Blind set Ajax back around €16 million, making them two of the most expensive players the club has ever bought.

The sums pale in comparison beside the €86 million Frenkie de Jong could ultimately cost Barcelona when he signs from Ajax this summer. Matthijs de Ligt, the Dutch club's teenage captain, is likely to command a comparable fee whenever he leaves.

For those who watch Ajax closely, though, the influence Tadic, 30, and Blind, 28, have had on their young team-mates should not be underestimated.

"One of the main reasons why Ajax have made it [into the Champions League knockout phase] this year is that they had the money and the courage to buy experienced players like Tadic and Blind," says Mike Verweij, who reports on the club for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "The mix is better than in all the years before."

With 22 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, Tadic is enjoying the best season of his career. Including qualifying matches, the Serbian winger has found the net eight times in the Champions League and was the standout performer as Ajax emerged unbeaten from a group that included Bayern Munich, Benfica and AEK Athens, notably starring in an unfamiliar centre-forward role in his side's two draws against the German side.

Blind has spent more minutes on the pitch than any other Ajax player since returning to the club where he took his first steps as a professional over 10 years ago. He has been an experienced foil to 19-year-old De Ligt in central defence and has even shown an eye for goal, scoring his first career hat-trick in December's 8-0 rout of De Graafschap. (Ten Hag's ultra-attacking team have also recorded winning margins of 7-1, 6-0, 5-0—twice—and 5-1 in the league this season, giving Ajax their best goals-per-game average since the 1985-86 campaign.)

For all the contributions Tadic and Blind have made on the pitch, their efforts behind the scenes have been just as telling.

"The main thing they gave the squad was the absolute focus on winning every game and doing everything to win," says Verweij. "Because in Holland, young players can play three good games and lose the fourth. But with Daley and Dusan, everybody is sharp and everybody knows that if you win four games, it doesn't mean you'll win the fifth as well. They helped their team-mates to realise what the life of a professional football player is."

Nicolas Tagliafico is another player to have brought some top-level know-how to the Ajax changing room. The 26-year-old Argentina left-back joined from Independiente in January 2018 in an example of the Eredivisie club's policy of signing players from South America in the winter transfer window and giving them time to get up to speed with a view to the following campaign.

Brazilian forward David Neres signed from Sao Paulo in January 2017 and finished as Ajax's top scorer in 2017-18. Argentinian centre-back Lisandro Magallan is being eased into action following his €9 million switch from Boca Juniors last month.

There was more evidence of Ajax's transfer smarts last summer. With the exception of Justin Kluivert, who left for AS Roma, Ajax retained all their major players and managed to tie up incoming transfers well before their Champions League qualifying campaign began.

Ajax's ability to invest in experienced players such as Tadic, Blind and Tagliafico reflects the large sums of money they have amassed from the sales of players such as Kluivert, Davinson Sanchez, Davy Klaassen and Arkadiusz Milik, all of whom have departed for fees exceeding €20 million during the last two-and-a-half years.

That sporting director Marc Overmars and chief executive Edwin van der Sar, both former Ajax stars in their own right, decided to invest in proven players in their mid-to-late 20s rather than up-and-coming prospects was tacit acknowledgement that youthful promise can only take a club so far.

Ajax seemed to stand on the brink of a major breakthrough in 2017 when a team with an average age of under 23 reached the final of the UEFA Europa League, where they lost 2-0 to Manchester United. But they crashed out of both the Champions League and the Europa League in the qualifying rounds the following season and then came up short against PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch title race.

Last season's second-placed finish in the Eredivisie means it is now five years since Ajax last topped the pile in the Netherlands. They have not won a trophy of any kind during that period and that, too, is likely to have influenced transfer strategy.

"After four years without winning a trophy, I think Marc Overmars and Edwin van der Sar felt obliged to invest more money than they used to do," says Sander Zeldenrijk, the chief editor of fanzine Ajax Life.

The emergence of De Ligt, who joined Ajax at the age of nine, and De Jong, who signed from Willem II when he was 18, emphasises the club's ability to attract the best young Dutch talent. Ajax invests above €10 million in its academy every year, and Zeldenrijk says the club likes to present itself to potential recruits as "the Harvard of football education."

Yet with Europe's leading clubs always sniffing around, not everyone is prepared to wait until graduation. Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Manchester United), Daishawn Redan (Chelsea) and Ki-Jana Hoever (Liverpool) are among the youth prospects who have opted to inspect the grass on the other side of the fence in recent years.

As De Jong's move to Barcelona after only two seasons as a first-team player demonstrates, not all those who make it into the starting XI are prepared to stick around either.

In an ideal world, players such as De Jong and De Ligt would give Ajax four or five seasons of service before looking elsewhere, but Van der Sar is enough of a realist to know that cannot always be the case.

"Because of the strength of other competitions—or the weakness of our own competition, you could also argue—there are opportunities for those [foreign] clubs to attract players," he wrote in a recent De Telegraaf column.

"At Ajax there is of course a limit. We look closely at the composition of the squad, because we play football to win prizes and perform as well as possible. ... We want to keep our boys and if that turns out to be really difficult, there must be a hefty price so that we can attract good replacements and invest even more in the youth."

Some fans expressed dismay in January when 21-year-old Austrian centre-back Maximilian Wober was allowed to join Sevilla, but in general there is a pragmatic acceptance of Ajax's place in the grand scheme of things.

"People know how it works," Zeldenrijk says. "You have the big European leagues, then the Dutch Eredivisie. Ajax are not in a position to spend the money on salaries that other teams spend."

The players who have made the step up from Jong Ajax (the Ajax reserve team) in recent years, among them De Ligt, De Jong and Donny van de Beek, have benefited from the decision made in 2013 to allow the club's second string (along with their counterparts at PSV and FC Twente) to compete against professional players in the Netherlands' second tier.

Jong Ajax won the Eerste Divisie for the first time last season, although as a reserve team, they cannot be promoted to the top flight. Things are looking good higher up the chain as well. Ajax's under-19s topped their UEFA Youth League group this season, and last April the under-17s successfully defended the Future Cup, an international youth tournament staged every year at the club's De Toekomst training facility.

Ajax were always going to start as outsiders in their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid, which starts Wednesday in Amsterdam. Chances of an upset seem even more remote in the wake of a worrying run of league form that has seen Ten Hag's men fall six points below leaders PSV following a 4-4 draw with Heerenveen, a 6-2 thrashing by Feyenoord and a 1-0 defeat by mid-table Heracles.

But thanks to some canny transfer dealings, some wise older heads and that steadily rolling academy conveyor belt, they at least have a dog in the fight again.

Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong has overcome the injury scare he suffered in the 1-0 defeat to Heracles on Saturday and will be fit to face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, says manager Erik ten Hag.

There were concerns over whether Ajax's star anchor would be ready to play in the round-of-16 first leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena after he came off injured in the 79th minute in the Eredivisie matchup against Heracles.      

However, Ten Hag addressed the media on Tuesday and allayed any fears over the Barcelona-bound anchor, via Ajax's official Twitter account:

'Frenkie is fit' 😍#UCL #ajarea pic.twitter.com/NKHGLeIdCW

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) February 12, 2019

Per FourFourTwo, Ten Hag said:

"Frenkie is fine, he is happy to play the match. 

"Like all of us, I imagine he will have an extra motivation, but we all have to play a Champions League game against Madrid, who have won three consecutive Champions League titles.

[...]

"Frenkie only wants one thing, which is to close the season well, we have this match with Madrid and he is sure to be 100 per cent motivated to give the best."

Ajax's preparations for Wednesday's matchup haven't been ideal. The Eredivisie outfit have lost two of their last three matches after going undefeated in their previous 23.

Dutch football writer Michael Bell underlined how important De Jong, 21, was to the club's chances prior to Saturday's defeat at Heracles, and the pressure has only been amplified since the loss:

Good news for Ajax is that Frenkie De Jong is fit to start in Almelo. They will definitely need him fully fit for that clash with Real Madrid next week. https://t.co/cUvcryoX7p

— Michael Bell (@MichaelJBell09) February 9, 2019

Barcelona announced in January that De Jong had agreed to join them this summer in a £65 million deal, adding an extra hint of spice between the player and his soon-to-be El Clasico rivals.

Alongside centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, De Jong looks like one of the rare talents Ajax have a habit of producing and one who is sure to have a genuine impact against a team as talented as Real.

The Godenzonen will be underdogs to advance despite Real's poor first half of the season, and there would be a noticeable gap in Ajax's spine if De Jong were to miss out at all.

Despite the Dutch club's gumption and their ability to draw twice against Bayern Munich in the group stage, commentator Kevin Hatchard has backed Los Blancos to go through:

Tipped Real Madrid to win the #ucl before the tournament started at 10/1 @BetfairExchange, and starting to feel good about that bet. I suspect they'll be too strong for Ajax over two legs, and with that core of experienced winners, they'll be tough to stop. Them or Juve, I think.

— Kevin Hatchard 🎙⚽️ (@kevinhatchard) February 12, 2019

Donny van de Beek, 21, and Lasse Schone, 32, have been the other consistent figures in Ajax's midfield this season, but neither has the same impact on the team that De Jong does.

Real coach Santiago Solari is sure to be aware of the Netherlands international, who will be ready to take on the team searching for a fourth successive Champions League crown.