Ajax Season Preview: Youth & Squad Building 2024/25

Ajax started the new season with a select group of thirteen players on Sunday. On Sunday morning the first fitness tests were, on Monday the other players – who have no extra vacation due to international obligations – connect for the first training. Players like Jorrel Hato, who reached the semi -final at the European Championship with the Dutch Juniors, get some extra vacation and will later connect in the preparation.

ESPN outlines the current state of affairs in Amsterdam on the eve of the new season.

The Amsterdam club would like to get this preparation the broom through the selection and say goodbye to Borna Sosa, Branco van den Boomen, Chuba Akpom, Carlos Forbs, Christian Rasmussen, Sivert Mannverk and Jay Gorter. This decision was taken by Ajax and the new -baked trainer John Heitinga weeks ago and the players in question have long been aware of this.

According to several reliable sources, technical director Alex Kroes has personally informed every ‘superfluous’ player and agent of this decision.

Agreements have been made with this group and management of these players and it has been told that there is no perspective at Ajax. So it is better for them to look forward to a new challenge.

Reform

The Amsterdammers are busy reforming the selection. Under the leadership of Heitinga, Ajax wants to deal with a number of expensive and superfluous forces, most of which were attracted to high salaries in the summer of 2023 by former Technical Director Sven Gefintat.

Ajax is a victim of his own success in terms of the salary house, because these purchases at the time have stipulated a Champions League bonus of 33 percent in their contract, who will enter the Amsterdammers in the billion-dollar ball next season. The players in question – SOSA, Van den Boomen, Akpom, Mannverk and Forbs – did not leave an indelible impression and four of the five were even active elsewhere on a rental basis last season.

Goalkeeper Gorter is also allowed to look for a new club. The 25-year-old goalkeeper no longer appears in the plans of Ajax and the club controls a departure. With a one -year contract, Gorter will not be rented anyway, but also a transfer is not in line with expectations.

The salary of the closing post is a stumbling block for interested clubs, so that the chance is that Gorter will serve his contract with Ajax without perspective on playing time.

Van den Boomen, who came over from Toulouse in the summer of 2023, is also allowed to look for a new club, but will not play a role in preparing for the coming season. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently recovering from a back injury and is only expected back in the autumn. If he is still under contract with Ajax, the situation will be again evaluated.

Furthermore, Christian Rasmussen and Sivert Mannverk will probably leave the club in the short term. For the young Scandinavians there has been plenty of interest lately and the youngsters are both almost round with clubs from abroad.

Situation in the preparation

No surprise should not be called that the returned mercenaries of SOSA, AKPOM and Forbs – who have cost around 35 million euros – no longer in Heitinga’s and Ajax ‘plans. To free up space in the budget, the Amsterdammers want these players to seek salvation elsewhere and although Ajax knows that it will never recoup the investment completely, it hopes to receive considerable transfer fees for the foursome.

Contrary to what was suggested in earlier reporting, the players in question may still use the facilities on the future until the players have found a different destination. After all, that is the contractual duty of Ajax.

Sources around left back SOSA outline the situation in which the players in question will be during the preparation. “Ajax does indeed want to get rid of SOSA, but that has been known for a long time. The players are going to train separately from time to time and do not participate in all training sessions under Heitinga. However, it is allowed to use the facilities on the future, parking is allowed and they can still be around the group,” it sounds from camp-sosa.

The players in question therefore ‘just’ train on the future, of which most of the time with Young Ajax. Ajax is currently giving priority to talented youth players, who can show themselves in the preparation to make a chance to join the first team.

Not only the selection is in the scaffolding at Ajax. The renovation of the future is in full swing, which causes the necessary nuisance. The Amsterdammers must handle this creatively. This way the players and staff members can no longer park in the parking lot where people have been parked for many years.

Chance for Hlynsson

Kristian Hlynsson-who was active on a rental basis at Sparta Rotterdam in the last half season-will get a chance in preparation among the new Ajax trainer, several sources around the club and player say. The 21-year-old Icelander, who still has a one-year contract in Amsterdam, has the opportunity to show himself this summer from Heitinga.

If the young attacking midfielder does well, he can just play an unexpected role in Ajax 1 this season and is also a contract extension in line with expectations.

VVCS

Following the rumors that were circulating on Saturday, the VVCS players’ union came on Saturday evening with a statement, in which it speaks of a ‘banning’ of the players in question.

“The VVCS looks at the exile of seven contract players of Ajax with astonishment. These players are emphatically isolated from their colleagues in the first selection. The VVCS regards this as a form of improper employer and an unnecessary public damage to players who do not bear any responsibility for the failed situation. The false of the Ajax has failed, they have failed to play the Ajax’s, ajax. datum.”

Asked for an explanation of the statement, Evgeniy Levchenko, chairman of the players’ union, is informed of the following ESPN:

“Ajax has a certain responsibility towards players. The question is whether it is enough to train in a separate group. It is about the way in which, that is our point. For me is still the biggest question where they are going to train. The player should not be excluded. We want the players to get a fair chance and be able to work with normal facilities? it off. “

Levchenko continues: “I understand that Ajax wants to get rid of the players, but because I have been a player myself, I know how terrible it is when you are excluded. The point is that Ajax facilitates according to the obligations of the contract and good employer. That means collective training, with or the first selection, or the second group.”

“We expect Ajax to pick it up and resolve the Ajax-worthy,” the chairman of the players’ union concludes.