Thursday, 17th July, 2014
Ajax coach Frank de Boer has admitted that for the right price defender-cum-midfielder Daley Blind could leave the club, but insists he is hoping the Netherlands international stays put.
Blind enhanced his reputation at Ajax last season by helping De Boer's men to a fourth consecutive Eredivisie title. He then grabbed further recognition by turning in a series of well-received displays for the Netherlands at the World Cup.
Links with Europe's elite were not slow in arriving, with Manchester United and Liverpool both mooted as keen, the former offering the opportunity to link up with Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal once again.
De Boer knows Blind could, like any member of his squad, leave. But the boss has a feeling he will be able to call upon the 24-year-old throughout 2014/15.
"Personally, I don't think so", he told Dutch radio station AT5, when asked if he felt Blind would leave this summer.
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"Everyone is obviously for sale, but we feel that those three players, the World Cup players [Jasper Cillessen, Daley Blind, Joel Veltman, ed.], with a few guys in the current squad, should be the water carries of this squad.
"We want to build a core around with guys like Davy Klaassen, Stefano Denswil, Ricardo van Rhijn and Ruben Ligeon.
"All guys who have been at Ajax since childhood."
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