Ajax not giving pandemic discount on Chelsea target André Onana

Ajax Amsterdam chief executive Edwin van der Sar has warned all the vultures circling around his players to not expect any sort of discount regardless of the global economic and pandemic situation.

Like many retailers, he’s choosing to hunker down and ride out the crisis rather than sell off his entire stock of in-demand players are a steep discount.

“Last year, we made verbal agreements with Onana, Tagliafico, Van de Beek to stay another season and then we look to help each other and find the next step in their careers. Nothing has changed.

“There won’t be a 50% discount. The clubs can forget about that.”

While Chelsea have already secured the signature of star attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech, we have also been linked with goalkeeper André Onana as a potential replacement or competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga. But it sounds like Ajax are adamant on charging full price — reportedly in the range of £25-35m — at least for now.

“In January last year, people said we were going to lose seven or eight players but we lost only two key members.

“The big clubs such as Bayern Munich have said the benchmark fee will go down in the next few transfer windows. But it’s easier for them to say because they are the buyers.

“Of course, the €150m-200m transfers are gone. But I think there is still a lot of value for players who come from Ajax. Well educated, experienced in winning and playing European football.”

-Edwin van der Sar; Source: Reuters

In the end, both sides may prove correct, with a transfer window expected to be long on players staying and short on player movement. The new economic reality of football could be drastically different than what we had become used to over the last few years.