Ajax

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew is preparing to make a summer bid for Ajax captain Siem de Jong.

The Magpies have admired the 25-year-old playmaker for some time and tried to lure him to England last summer. However, it seems that the Premier League Cup could be ready to reignite their interest during the forthcoming transfer window.

De Jong, a Swiss-born Dutch international with six senior caps, has been instrumental in helping Ajax to three consecutive Eredivisie championships and is set to lift a fourth if the Amsterdam giants win next week’s trip to Heracles. The midfielder is also hoping to return from injury to lead the club to a KNVB Cup triumph in Sunday’s final against PEC Zwolle, which is held at Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium.

According to Steve Bates of the Mirror, the £12 million-rated playmaker is being touted as the potential long-term replacement for Yohan Cabaye, who left Newcastle for PSG in January.

Since breaking into the Ajax first team, de Jong has hit an impressive 57 goals in 167 league appearances, reaching double figures in each of the past four campaigns. Progress this season has been somewhat restricted by injuries, but the playmaker has still managed to return seven goals in 18 Eredivisie outings. He has yet to prove himself in one of the elite leagues, but it isn’t hard to see why the Magpies are interested in his talents.

Having progressed through the Ajax ranks to the point that he is a title-winning skipper, nobody could begrudge the Dutchman for seeking a new challenge next season. In theory, he should be approaching his prime years, and now is probably the right time for him to force a move abroad—particularly if he wants to command a more significant role within the national setup.

De Jong’s brother, Luuk, is currently on loan at Newcastle from German club Borussia Monchengladbach. Perhaps the brothers will be reunited on Tyneside next term.

Player stats from Soccerway.

Is a move to Newcastle the right step for De Jong? Share your opinions below.

Hamburg and Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart could be set to make a surprise return to Holland this summer by rejoining boyhood club Ajax.

The 31-year-old, who joined the Amsterdam club’s youth academy in 1993, went on to make over 100 senior appearances for the Dutch side before departing for Hamburg in 2003. The attacking midfielder is now currently back in Germany where he is captain of the Bundesliga team, after bridging spells at Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

According to Sky Sports, van der Vaart had previously voiced his desire to remain at the Imtech Arena by putting pen to paper on a new deal. However, with Hamburg currently sitting in the Bundesliga relegation zone, the Dutchman may have to leave this summer, despite being under contract until 2015.

It would be too premature for a player who still regularly plays international football to settle for a career in the second tier of German football, and should Hamburg be relegated, interest in his signature will be high; it appears that Ajax would be the most likely destination.

Ajax manager Frank de Boer had openly stated last week that he sees van der Vaart as the perfect solution to fit into his team and is extremely eager to bring the Dutchman back to Amsterdam, according to Michael Bell of Football Oranje. The player is believed to be coming around to the idea, too, according to SBS Shownieuws (via Bell).

Van der Vaart has been a prominent figure within the Netherlands national team for over a decade and registered four goals in six appearances during 2013. He is still widely regarded as one of the most talented players in Europe.

Despite Hamburg's continued struggles as a team, van der Vaart has returned a respectable seven goals and eight assists in just 24 league appearances. He would be a welcomed addition to many teams and would be a huge coup for de Boer's side.

Ajax are set to clinch a fourth successive Eredivisie crown within the next fortnight, and bringing back a two-time winner to the squad would only further enhance their credentials of making it five next term.

Would van der Vaart be a good signing for the champions? Post your thoughts below.

Eredivisie leaders Ajax will be without the services of their influential captain, Siem de Jong, for a few weeks, as the midfielder has been ruled out for the foreseeable future due to injury.

The 25-year-old was taken off during the latter stages of Sunday's goalless league encounter at NAC Breda after tearing his right hamstring and now faces a battle for fitness ahead of the title run-in.

As reported by ClubCall.com, de Jong was examined by medical staff on Monday morning and has been diagnosed with a tear that will definitely keep him out of the cup contest on March 27, as well as the upcoming Eredivisie match against title rivals FC Twente on March 30.

Siem, older brother to Newcastle United's Luuk de Jong, will be a huge absence for Frank de Boer's side, who will miss his leadership qualities as well as his astute eye for goal. Ajax will still be favourites to retain their Eredivisie crown, but following back-to-back draws, still have some work to do to claim a fourth consecutive title; that task unquestionably becomes more difficult due to their skipper's injury.

Likewise, the injury could cause problems for the national side as Louis van Gaal tries to prepare for this summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Netherlands coach already faces a midfield headache thanks to the injury suffered by Roma's Kevin Strootman earlier this month; the potential absence of de Jong will only make matters worse.

The 25-year-old earned five caps during 2013, scoring twice in the 3-0 victory over Indonesia and was an unused substitute in the 2-0 defeat to France on March 5. In light of Strootman's withdrawal, de Jong was almost certain to be named in van Gaal's final squad, but now his place in Brazil is in serious jeopardy as he battles to regain fitness.

However, while de Jong will have concerns about his international prospects, the player will be primarily focused on returning to action at the Amsterdam Arena. The Dutch giants are aiming to win a domestic double and will want their captain back as quickly as possible.

The Swiss-born midfielder, who is sometimes deployed as a striker, joined Ajax's youth academy in 2005. He has made over 200 first-team appearances since his 2007 debut and was promoted to club captain in 2012.

A series of hamstring injuries—this is his third—have limited de Jong to just 16 league starts this term, but the skipper has still managed to register an impressive return of seven goals.

Earlier on Monday, via its official website, Ajax confirmed that they will reassess de Jong's situation in two weeks time. Both club and player will be praying for a speedy return to action.

Stats from WhoScored and Soccerway.

What impact, if any, will de Jong's absence have on the Amsterdam giants? Post your opinions below.

Ajax manager Frank de Boer's twin, Ronald, has proclaimed that this summer could be the right time for his brother to quit the Amsterdam giants in search of a fresh challenge.

The comments, which come just a week after Frank fuelled speculation of his potential departure following a damning evaluation of Dutch football after Ajax's Europa League exit, will undoubtedly spark more rumours regarding de Boer's location next season with a move to the English Premier League being touted as a possible destination.

Ronald, who played alongside Frank throughout most of their careers and is now part of the coaching staff at Ajax, also confirmed that his brother had turned down the Tottenham Hotspur job towards at the start of this year. The job was eventually handed to caretaker boss Tim Sherwood on a permanent basis, although Spurs still may opt to replace the former player this summer.

De Boer reportedly told TalkSport: “Tottenham wanted to take him in January, but Frank said no.

"He also said no to Liverpool last year. He thought he was still not ready and wanted to learn more.

"Now he's ready, though. It's important for Frank to get the right club otherwise he won't leave Ajax. He's very happy there."

Whilst Ronald did stress the fact that Frank is more than content in Amsterdam, it does appear that the 43-year-old Ajax boss is ready to bring an end to a highly successful stint with the club.

Since being appointed as head coach in 2010, de Boer has led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles and looks almost certain to make it four this term. There is little else for the manager to achieve in Dutch football and nobody could blame him for seeking pastures new.

Whilst de Boer allegedly rejected both Spurs and Liverpool, the Ajax boss did openly tell BBC sources that he'd love to manage in the Premier League one day—citing both those clubs as potential suitors.

In the wake of his brother's comments, perhaps he won't have to wait too much longer to make that dream come true.

Will the younger de Boer remain in Amsterdam next season? Post your views below.

Less than 72 hours after crashing out of Europe under disastrous circumstances, Frank de Boer's Ajax dug deep to come from behind to win 2-1 at Feyenoord—taking a giant leap towards the Eredivisie title.

Sunday's victory at De Kuip all but ends Feyenoord's title hopes as the Amsterdam giants increased their lead over Ronald Koeman's side to 12 points. The defeat now also leaves the Rotterdam club's hopes of Champions League qualification hanging by a thread as they lost further ground on rivals FC Twente and Vitesse.

Whilst Michel Jansen's men drew 1-1 at Utrecht, Vitesse Arnhem recorded a 3-0 win over bottom club Roda JC to join Twente on 49 points. Meanwhile, Feyenoord stay on 45 and must avoid any further blunders if they are going to secure the runners-up place.

As per Joe Wright of Goal.com, current manager Ronald Koeman has already confirmed his departure from De Kuip this summer but that doesn't alter the fact he'll be upset by the loss to Ajax.

Champions League qualification would have been the perfect parting gift to the club he joined in 2011 but that now looks an extremely tough ask of the Rotterdam club, who also face stiff competition from a PSV side who closed the gap to a single point following their fifth win on the spin against the Go Ahead Eagles.

Earlier on Monday, Feyenoord announced Fred Rutten as Koeman's successor with the 51-year-old set to take charge on July 1.

As for Ajax, the win sees them increase their lead at the Eredivisie summit to eight points thanks to Twente's failure in Utrecht. De Boer will be pleased with the weekend's results but perhaps more satisfying, particularly in the aftermath of Thursday's loss in Salzburg, was the manner in which they claimed the victory.

Having fallen behind to Graziano Pelle's 20th league strike of the season after half an hour, Ajax looked to be heading for a second away defeat in four days. However, a Kolbeinn Sigthorsson equaliser on the stroke of half-time offered the league leaders renewed hope and was unquestionably the most important moment in a thrilling battle.

Ajax completed the turnaround with 18 minutes remaining, courtesy of Joel Veltman's close range effort following some indecisive set-piece defending from the home side. It was the Ajax stopper's first goal of the season and secured a vital three points against one of their fiercest rivals.

The win won't erase the embarrassment of that Europa league hammering but it does at least offer Ajax some redemption and puts them right on track to claim an unequalled 33rd Eredivisie title.

Only a self inflicted implosion of the greatest magnitude can now prevent the Amsterdam giants from retaining their crown for a fourth season and Frank de Boer looks set to enter the record books as the first manager in the club's illustrious history to achieve that feat.

Elsewhere, AZ followed up their midweek Europa League success by condemning RKC to a third consecutive defeat via a comfortable 4-0 scoreline; defender Nick Viergiver continuing his recent scoring spree by notching a third goal in four matches.

Ajax face rivals Feyenoord as they attempt to stamp their authority on the Dutch Eredivisie.

The Amsterdam club currently sit six points clear of FC Twente and nine points ahead of their Rotterdam rivals, who are in fourth place. 

Match Preview

Ajax are enjoying an excellent run of form, having won 11 of their last 13 Eredivisie matches. They have also scored at least two goals in 19 of their last 21 matches, as per whoscored.com.

By contrast, Feyenoord have joined a campaign of mixed emotions, drawing last week to fellow title challengers FC Twente. That draw was a blemish on an otherwise excellent run of form, which saw them take 10 victories from 11 matches. 

This will be the 176th De Klassieker between the two sides, but it is Frank de Boer's men who have enjoyed the greater success of late, winning last year's title.

De Boer will face his former Dutch teammate Ronald Koeman knowing that if Ajax can defeat the Rotterdam side, they will knock them out of the title race. But that task has been made all the more difficult owing to several key injuries. 

Viktor Fischer picked up a hamstring injury against AZ Alkmaar last weekend, and joins Nicolai Boilesen, Lasse Schone and Thulani Serero on the sidelines. Schone and Serero particularly are big losses for Ajax, having provided eight assists between them this campaign. 

In their absence, the creative burden will fall to former Barcelona starlet Bojan Krkic, who has provided three assists of his own this season. 

Feyenoord's chances are strengthened by the news that top scorer Graziano Pelle will be available after his one-match ban was suspended. Pelle is far and away Feyenoord's most important player, hitting 19 goals this season as well as providing four assists, as per ESPNfc.com. The 28-year-old Italian will be pivotal if Feyenoord are to taste victory in De Klassieker.

Bruno Martins Indi also returns from suspension, and Koeman is likely to name Joris Mathijsen and Stefan de Vrij in the centre of defence. 

Victory here for Feyenoord could breathe new life into the Eredivisie race, and there is no better time to face an Ajax side hit by a raft of key injuries.

Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has named Ajax hotshot Davy Klaassen in the 23-man squad that will face France in Paris next Wednesday.

The inclusion of Klaassen comes after a highly successful season in which the 21-year-old has emerged as one of Eredivisie’s star attractions, returning an impressive eight goals for the Amsterdam giants including a December hat-trick against NAC Breda.

A string of fine displays has garnered much praise for the young midfielder with the likes of Tottenham and Aston Villa amongst those chasing the Ajax man’s signature. His first senior call-up indicates that van Gaal is just the latest coach to admire Klaassen’s talent.

Klaassen has already been touted as a potential future mainstay of the Netherlands national side, but the call-up will still come as a pleasurable surprise for the Ajax man. Van Gaal’s decision to include the 21-year-old will also give the player hope of forcing his way onto the plane for Brazil this summer.

Talk of a potential World Cup spot is a glowing testimony to his progression at Ajax this term, especially as he’d previously only made 11 first-team appearances prior to this season. However, following this inclusion, Klaassen is at least on van Gaal’s radar—even if the youngster will most likely be named amongst the substitutes.

Following the disaster of Euro 2012, where Netherlands lost all three matches, new faces will be a welcomed addition. Klaassen, who has already represented his country at various youth levels, is joined in the squad by fellow debutants Jean-Paul Boetius of Feyenoord and FC Twente’s Quincy Promes.

The trip to France will be Klaassen’s second jaunt abroad in a week following Ajax’s match in Austria last Thursday. Whilst the Dutch champions suffered a humiliating 6-1 aggregate defeat to Salzburg, the 21-year-old did at least enjoy the individual success of scoring his side’s only goal.

If he can repeat that feat by scoring in Paris, then his chances of heading to Brazil may be dramatically increased.

Netherlands kick off their World Cup campaign on June 13 against Spain, who famously beat them in the final four years ago.

Netherlands squad to face France:

Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Michel Vorm (Swansea), Jereon Zoet (PSV)

Defenders: Daley Blind (Ajax), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Karim Rekkik (PSV), Joel Veltman (Ajax), Paul Verhaegh (Ausburg), ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Gregory van der Wiel (Paris Saint-Germain)

Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Davy Klaassen (Aajx), Stijn Schaars (PSV), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Kevin Strootman (Roma)

Forwards: Jean-Paul Boetius (Feyenoord), Memphis Depay (PSV) Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Schalke), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbache), Robin van Persie (Manchester United), Quincy Pomes (FC Twente), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)

As Ajax crashed out of Europe on Thursday night, manager Frank de Boer gave a scathing review of the current state of Dutch football in what could be the biggest hint yet that the 43-year-old is ready to quit the Amsterdam giants in search of a challenge elsewhere.

The humiliating 6-1 aggregate defeat to Salzburg serves as an accurate barometer of how badly the Austrians battered Ajax over the course of two legs and highlights a genuine lack of talent in the Eredivisie right now.

However, de Boer cast a dejected figure in his post-match interviews, and his comments could easily be construed as a signal of his pending departure.

"Salzburg has been a very strong opponent," de Boer said in a press conference. "We do not experience a match against (teams like) Salzburg in the Eredivisie.

The damning report on the standard of Dutch football underlines the popular belief that the gap between Holland's and Europe’s top leagues is becoming bigger by the year. Further, if this is to be de Boer’s final season in charge at the Amsterdam Arena, then the Eredivisie will be losing one of its few remaining attractions.

De Boer, alongside his twin brother, Ronald, enjoyed an illustrious playing career, winning a host of trophies in Holland and across Europe, the highlight being Ajax’s Champions League success of 1994-95.

That was the last time a Dutch club lifted Europe’s top prize, and that doesn’t look like it's going to change anytime soon. Following Ajax’s disastrous Europa League elimination, Alkmaar are the only Eredivisie representative to remain in continental competition.

AZ will face a difficult tie against Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala for a place in the quarter-final.

As for the Ajax boss, speculation about a summer exit is hardly a new revelation. At the beginning of February, he confessed dreams of one day managing in the Premier League, citing Tottenham and Liverpool as potential destinations.

Additionally, Matt Jones of Goal.com reported earlier this week that Inter Milan president Erick Thohir had declared his admiration of de Boer’s management—although there was absolutely no suggestion that Nerazzurri have any plans of appointing the Dutchman within the foreseeable future.

However, those revelations do give food for thought, whilst de Boer’s recent comments only provide further ammunition for rumours suggesting a summer move.

De Boer is eager for a long, successful coaching career and holds aspirations of adding Europe’s biggest prizes to his managerial CV. Unfortunately, as Thursday’s defeat highlights, if he remains at the Amsterdam Arena, then the chances of that happening are nonexistent.

Under the guidance of Holland’s most-capped outfield player, Ajax have stormed their way to three consecutive Eredivisie titles. If the league leaders can retain their crown once more, then it will be the first time in the club’s history that they’ve claimed four on the spin.

If that happens, then you have to wonder where else de Boer can find motivation to stay.

De Boer has conquered Holland both as a player and manager; the temptation of challenges afield may soon be too much to resist.

Frank De Boer's Ajax have reportedly agreed a deal to acquire the services of FC Groningen's highly rated 17-year-old striker Richairo Zivkovic, beating off competition from a host of other interested parties in the process.

As per TalkSport, reports in Holland claim that the teenage sensation is set to sign a three-year deal with the Amsterdam giants after an agreement was brokered by Ajax's director of football Marc Overmars.

Amongst those monitoring the progress of Zivkovic, a Netherlands Under-19 international with Serbian descent, were Premier League clubs Manchester City and Liverpool. However, the Dutchman looks destined to remain in the Eredivisie following this proposed move—which is believed to carry a transfer fee of £2 million.

The Groningen player, who made his senior debut towards the tail end of last season, has impressed this term and is already being dubbed as the "new Arjen Robben" by fans in his homeland. As Bleacher Report's Allan Jiang explained, those comparisons may be a little off the mark; it does however prove just how highly regarded the youngster is.

With a return of five league goals this season, a long bright future could await the youngster and the move to Ajax will only further help his development. Any decision to join Manchester City or Liverpool at this stage of his career could have been detrimental to his progress in the game as he would have been condemned to spending the foreseeable future in the reserve team of either English club.

However, at Ajax his first-team opportunities will be far greater, whilst staying in Holland could also boost his prospects of working up the ranks of the national team setup. Zivkovic already boasts two goals for the Under-19s in just three matches, and he is already firmly on the radar of the Under-21 side whilst he is being widely tipped to eventually represent the senior squad.

If Zivkovic does realise his potential ability, then the chances are that Ajax will only be a temporary home before moving to a more permanent destination abroad in a couple of years time. Even if that is the case, supporters of the Amsterdam club will be excited by the prospect of seeing one of Holland's finest young talents wearing their famous red and white jersey.

And when that time comes, when the player is ready to seek a challenge abroad, Ajax will almost certainly be able to command a much higher fee than what they are reportedly paying for the 17-year-old.

Ajax are already dominating the domestic game and are favourites to retain the Eredivisie crown for a club-record fourth consecutive season, which will be their 33rd overall.

The acquisition of Zivkovic will only further enforce their position as Holland's top side.

Will Zivkovic succeed at the Amsterdam Arena? Let us know your thoughts below.

Fresh from Thursday's hugely disappointing 3-0 Europa League defeat to Red Bull Salzburg, Frank de Boer's Ajax head into Sunday's Eredivisie clash knowing that a far greater performance is required if they are to retain their four-point cushion at the top.

Against the Austrians, Ajax were borderline abysmal and did not resemble a team who are searching for a fourth consecutive Eredivisie crown. Manager de Boer will already be dreading next week's redundant return fixture and would not be blamed for taking a reserve squad to Salzburg on Thursday. For now, the Dutch legend's attentions must be fully focused on Sunday's challenge from an AZ side who will be full of confidence heading into this key fixture.

As well as winning the reverse contest last August, Dick Advocaat's men also claimed victory at the Amsterdam Arena on their last visit via a 3-0 scoreline in the KNVB Cup. Combined with the 2-2 draw in last season's league encounter, Alkmaar can head to the capital full of high spirit.

Unlike their Amsterdam opponents, AZ did record a positive result during midweek as they left Slovan Liberic with a 1-0 advantage ahead of next week's return match at the AFAS Stadion. It looks increasingly likely that the Cheese Farmers will be the last Dutch team in Europe this season—a fantastic achievement for a club who only qualified for it courtesy of a 2013 cup triumph.

The 2009 champions currently sit seventh in the Eredivisie table and look certain to improve on last year's 10th-placed finish. If they can overcome Ajax, then it's possible that they could yet scrape into Europa League qualification.

Failing that, they could always achieve that by retaining the KNVB Cup. AZ meet Ajax in next month's semi-final so this league meeting also serves as a dress rehearsal for that crucial encounter.

For Ajax, though, this league match is far more important than a prelude to that semi-final. As well as wanting to recover some of the damage caused by Thursday's humiliation, de Boer knows that this game offers the perfect opportunity to tighten their grip on the Eredivisie trophy. With FC Twente and Feyenoord facing each other later on Sunday afternoon, at least one of the champions rivals will drop points and picking up three points against AZ would ensure that the Amsterdam giants remain firmly in the driving seat.

If this is to be de Boer's final season then marking it with a fourth consecutive title, which would be the first time Ajax has ever achieved the feat, would be the perfect parting gift from one of the club's biggest icons.

Three points against AZ would certainly go a long way to cementing their place in history.