Manchester United have reportedly received a major boost in pursuit of Ajax prodigy Justin Kluivert, who has rejected a new deal at the Dutch club.
As reported by Daily Mail, Justin Kluivert has fallen out with Ajax as he claimed that the club tried to sell him to Tottenham without his knowledge. The teenage prodigy is now refusing to sign a new contract with the Dutch giants, possibly providing a major boost to Manchester United’s hopes of signing him in the summer transfer window.
Kluivert has generated a lot of buzz around his talent since breaking into the first-team setup at Ajax last season, aged just 17. One further season has since passed, and the player is now well established in Erik tan Hag’s squad, having made 36 appearances across all competitions this term.
His return of 11 goals and 5 assists might not exactly be world beating figures, but he has shown a lot of promise in over 50 games played for Ajax, so much so that some of the best clubs in Europe, including Manchester United, are starting to get linked with a possible move.
Attack doesn’t seem to be a priority area for Manchester United, heading into the summer transfer window, but Jose Mourinho does seem intent on signing one winger, with Anthony Martial edging closer to the exit door at Old Trafford, as per latest rumours.
Mourinho’s focus though, is on signing a player who can operate on the right flank – Kluivert is equally adept at playing on either flank, making him a viable target. It now looks like Manchester United could have a spring in their step, should they decide to make a move for the 19-year-old.
Kluivert has fallen out with Ajax, accusing the club of trying to sell him behind his back. As a result, the teenager has gone on to state that he will not be signing a new contract at the Johan Cruijff Arena, with his deal set to expire next summer.
“I’m not renewing my contract at Ajax. Too much has happened. The decreasing morale, lack of confidence, trying to sell me to Tottenham without me knowing. I heard about that at the last minute. That says nothing about Ajax, but about the people in the club. They do what they want. I get that feeling again: they do what they want. My plan was to stay, but a lot has happened lately.”
While the 18-year-old has iterated that his dream is to play for Barcelona, there has been no forthcoming interest from the newly crowned La Liga champions. Kluivert had even rebuffed Manchester United links a few months ago, but it looks like a move to Old Trafford could be on the horizon, considering the club’s links with his agent Mino Raiola.
Any possible move though, would depend on Manchester United making an offer to secure the player’s services. What seems likely though, is the fact that Kluivert is edging closer and closer to leaving Ajax this summer after a rather public fall out.
