Dutch giants Ajax have reportedly identified Manchester United assistant Mitchell van der Gaag as a potential successor to Maurice Steijn.
On the back of an underwhelming 2022-23 season under Alfred Schreuder and John Heitinga, the Ajax board appointed former Sparta Rotterdam head coach Steijn on a three-year contract.
However, the Eredivisie powerhouses are already facing calls to sack the 49-year-old, who has endured a dismal start to life in Amsterdam with just two wins from his opening 10 games in charge.
Steijn achieved two victories and a draw from his first three matches as head coach, but Ajax entered the October international break on the back of a seven-game winless run across all competitions.
Three successive Eredivisie losses to FC Twente, Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar have left Ajax in 16th place in the Eredivisie rankings - which would see the 36-time champions compete in the relegation playoff - while their Europa League campaign started with back-to-back draws against Marseille and AEK Athens.
© Reuters
Amid their on-field crisis, Ajax have tempted former player and manager Louis van Gaal back to the club as an advisor amid a potential shake-up in the dugout.
According to The Athletic, the ex-Man United and Netherlands boss would recommend the appointment of current Red Devils assistant Van der Gaag if Steijn is given the boot in the coming weeks.
The 51-year-old - a former Netherlands youth international - has worked under the wing of Erik ten Hag since their days at Ajax and followed his compatriot to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022.
Van der Gaag helped Man United end their six-year trophy drought in the EFL Cup last season, while the Red Devils also placed third in the Premier League to seal a return to the Champions League.
Ten Hag's side have flattered to deceive in the early portion of the campaign, though, winning four and losing four of their eight Premier League games and suffering back-to-back Champions League losses to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
© Reuters
Nevertheless, Ten Hag and his coaching team are not thought to be in any danger of losing their jobs at this juncture, and Ajax are aware that it will not be easy to tempt Van der Gaag away from Manchester.
The 51-year-old's contract with Man United runs until the end of the 2024-25 season, and the report adds that Ajax may opt to keep faith in Steijn before undergoing a significant rebuild next year.
Prior to working alongside Ten Hag, Van der Gaag began his coaching career in Portugal with Maritimo and Belenenses, winning the Portuguese second division with the latter in the 2012-13 season.
The Dutchman also managed Cypriot outfit Ermis Aradippou, FC Eindhoven, Excelsior and NAC Breda before spending two years as head coach of Ajax Under-21s between 2019 and 2021, after which he was promoted to the senior coaching team.
Ben Knapton
