Ajax’s Cruijff era brings sharper change in transfer strategy
Ajax watcher Johan Inan says Jordi Cruijff has adopted a more direct approach than Alex Kroes, although the financial impact cannot yet be established.
UnconfirmedThis report is based on Dutch media speculation and has not been confirmed by the clubs or players involved.
Ajax’s transfer policy under Jordi Cruijff has moved in a markedly different direction from the approach taken by his predecessor Alex Kroes, according to journalist Johan Inan. Speaking on FCAfkicken’s Transfershow, the Ajax watcher said the contrast is visible both in recruitment and within the club’s academy.
Inan characterised Kroes as a cautious decision-maker who sought extensive consultation and paid close attention to the wage structure. Cruijff, by comparison, is said to make decisions more quickly and work through shorter lines of communication. FCUpdate reports that Cruijff also intervened in the youth set-up, streamlining its structure and appointing Spanish youth coaches.
The journalist rejected the suggestion that Kroes views Cruijff’s work with outright hostility. However, he believes Kroes may question what has happened to the sustainable financial policy that had previously been treated as a priority, particularly after several years of efforts to reduce salary costs.
Any conclusion about Ajax’s actual wage bill remains premature. Inan stressed that the club’s accounts are not publicly available and said there is no basis for claiming that the salary budget has doubled. His more limited assessment was that Ajax operated in a different salary bracket during the summer than the ceiling previously applied under Kroes. That distinction leaves the scale and long-term effect of Cruijff’s policy unclear until financial figures become available.
Reported first by
This English write-up is our own summary of the reporting above. Full details remain with the original publishers — please read them at the source.