Rafael van der Vaart wants Ruud Van Nistelrooij to follow Erik ten Hag’s footsteps and manage Ajax – Man United News And Transfer News

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Erik ten Hag’s decision to depart Ajax to take over the helm at Manchester United has hit the Dutch giants harder than many expected.

The Amsterdam-based club, which won three league titles—including two on the bounce—under Ten Hag, has found itself on the tails of Feyenoord and PSV. The latter, in particular, has emerged as the dominant force in Dutch football in recent times.

After lifting the Johan Cruyff Shield and the Dutch Cup last season, PSV are cruising to this campaign’s league title.

The Eindhoven outfit are 10 points clear of second-placed Feyenoord, having lost zero games in 2023/24’s Eredivisie.

The side is currently led by ex-Ajax boss, Peter Bosz, but it won’t be far-fetched to say that it was Ruud van Nistelrooy who laid the foundations for their incredible run.

The former Man United striker instilled an attacking style of play in the PSV team and set them for future success by adding academy talents like Johan Bakayoko into the first-team fold.

However, just before the end of the last term, Van Nistelrooy decided to cut ties with PSV, allegedly due to a lack of management support.

Regardless, prominent football minds in the country still recognize his brilliant work at the Philips Stadion.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Rafael van der Vaart, who shared the Netherlands dressing room with Van Nistelrooy, has tipped his ex-teammate to lead Ajax amid their concerning form.

“I have spoken to people. And it seems that Van Nistelrooy is really a very good coach,” Van der Vaart told Studio Voetbal.

“Well, let’s have Van Nistelrooy then. I want a big name to come to Ajax.”

The four-time Champions League winners are languishing in fourth place in the league, having mustered just one win in their last five outings.

Interim head coach John van ‘t Schip has done relatively better than Maurice Steijn, but he’s clearly not an ideal fit to lead the club back to Dutch football’s summit.