Dutch journalist claims it is ‘an open secret’ that Overmars fancies a switch to Arsenal
It is an open secret that Ajax’s director of football Marc Overmars fancies a switch to Arsenal, according to De Telegraaf’s chief football writer Valentijn Driessen who said this to Dutch media outlet Voetbal Primeur via Sport Witness.
Overmars played for Arsenal for three years from 1997 to 2000 and was an important part of the side that won legendary former manager Arsene Wenger’s first double at the club in the 1997/98 season. During his time with the Gunners, he scored 36 goals and provided 31 assists in 131 appearances across all competitions. He moved from the North London club to Barcelona in 2000.
The 47-year-old has been Ajax’s director of football since 2012 and along with Edwin van der Saar, has been credited with running the club brilliantly and building a project that saw the Dutch side reach the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League in the 2018/19 season.
They have promoted young players from their academy and signed some of the brightest prospects in Dutch football before developing them into world class players and selling them for a big profit. Some examples of such players are Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt.
The Gunners have been linked with Overmars in the past but with Edu Gaspar now in place as the technical director, a move for the former Gunners star looks unlikely but cannot be ruled out.
On Overmars’ ambition to move to his former club, Driessen said:
“At Ajax, everything in terms of transfers ends up on the plate of director of football affairs Marc Overmars”
“He wants nothing more than to be the spider in the web that guards all the lines. Delegation is not his forte, but the Haller affair proves that a “right hand” is harmless.”
“It is an open secret that he does not reject a new challenge at a major foreign top club or with his former employers FC Barcelona and Arsenal.”
“He has been associated with those two clubs before.”
