Manchester United plundered Ajax for manager Erik ten Hag earlier this year, then signed outstanding players like Lisandro Martinez and Antony.
It would be a mistake to think United’s relationship with Ajax is gone, with the Dutch club stacked with talent known to Ten Hag.
United are rumoured to be interested in signing Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor, who made his debut under Ten Hag.
Taylor has been called up to the Netherlands international squad for the first time by Louis van Gaal, ahead of Ryan Gravenberch.
Former Ajax manager Aad de Mos is impressed with Taylor’s performances this season at Ajax, where he has three goals and two assists in seven Eredivisie games.
The centre midfielder is only 20 years old, and De Mos told VoetbalNieuws that he feels Taylor can be a World Cup star before committing to a huge career move.
He said: “He will be the revelation of Orange at the World Cup. He is already one of the best players on the field at Ajax.
“He will stay for another year, then it will be Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester United.
“If there are two buses parked, he knows the right choices towards the strikers or players in his area. And he is also two-footed. If the team is compact, you don’t have to be afraid.
“He has an iron will to want to defend and has a good head. A very talented player.”
Taylor is a product of the Ajax academy who only has 32 career appearances for the first team so far.
A big move now would be too soon for him, but it would not be a surprise to see clubs show an interest as soon as next summer.
Whether one of those will be United is pure guesswork at present, but it wouldn’t be a shock, given the Erik ten Hag connection.
He signed a new contract with Ajax in July which will run up until 2027, so it’s unlikely he would come cheap, in any case
