Project-Ziyech would cost Ajax no less than 80 million euros

16:13 – Ajax will probably say goodbye to Antony in the short term. The Brazilian attacker is about to move to Manchester United for 100 million euros. Hakim Ziyech is considered a top candidate to succeed Antony. However, Lucas Ocampos and Leon Bailey are also in the picture with the team from Amsterdam, Ajax watcher Mike Verweij confirms in the podcast Kick-off of The Telegraph.

Antony’s transfer to Manchester United may be completed this Monday. Ajax therefore still has a few days to attract a replacement. “If you sell a player for 100 million euros, you really have to get a quality player back there. And immediately, in order to perform well in the Champions League. That is also possible without an extra player, but I think you can a season in which the matches follow each other at a killer pace, you need a very wide selection,” Verweij begins.

Article continues under videox

Ziyech is reportedly still at the top of Ajax’s list, but his arrival will be a difficult story. “Chelsea initially wanted 40 million euros for him. But it turns out that they are now also satisfied with 25 to 30 million euros. But even then, he has no residual value because he is old. And you have to give him 10 million euros a year. That is a project of 80 million euros. No club in the Netherlands is going to start with that,” he says.

According to Verweij, it is not Ajax’s philosophy to get an expensive player who will not yield anything in the future. “If you include the salary, it is a very expensive player. If they can hire Ziyech, they will do it immediately. But not for that money. Then they would rather have a fast player with depth. Ziyech is certainly an option, but then you have to there is a possibility to rent him cheaply. I understand that there is contact every day whether it is still possible. If Ziyech is not sold before September 1, renting could still be interesting for him and Chelsea. Then it could be a possibility but at the moment that is absolutely not the case.”

Ocampos at Bailey
If the arrival of Ziyech proves to be unfeasible, then Ajax may make an attempt for Ocampos or Bailey. “Ocampos is a serious option, but a player of 28 with no residual value. He seems to be a difficult boy, mentally a special case. But he is a great footballer. If Ajax gets the chance to take him away from Sevilla, then they will get him Leon Bailey is also a very serious option They have wanted to get him three or four times but I wonder if Aston Villa is still waiting two days before the deadline to sell a player They are otherwise he will play football and he has hardly played in recent weeks. He would like to leave and go to Ajax.”