Van Der Sar has already given green light to his Man Utd return amid approach
Edwin van der Sar appears to be open to returning to Manchester United following reports that Erik ten Hag has made a move to bring the former goalkeeper back to Old Trafford.
Having spent the past six years as CEO of Ajax, Van der Sar shares a personal and working relationship with Ten Hag and it emerged on Friday that the Red Devils boss wants to reunite with his ex-colleague. United are in the process of restructuring their sporting hierarchy, with John Murtough currently acting as Football Director.
And it seems that Old Trafford still has room for another high-profile figure after Voetbal Primeur reported that Ten Hag recently reached out to Van der Sar to discuss the possibility of him swapping Amsterdam for Manchester – just as he did in May to become the club’s new manager.
Danny Blind, the father of former Red Devils defender Daley, has even been tipped to potentially replace his Dutch compatriot, and Van der Sar’s past comments indicate that United would stand a decent chance of acquiring his services, despite him signing a new three-year contract this September.
Back in 2019, the ex-shot-stopper was asked about the possibility of returning to Old Trafford, where he boasts legendary status thanks to winning three successive Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008 as Sir Alex Ferguson’s undisputed No.1.
“Besides my family, my wife and kids and everything I have two loves in my life,” Van der Sar explained, speaking to Planet Futbol, as quoted by The Express. “That’s Ajax, who gave me the opportunity to develop, they scouted me, they gave me the chance to shine in the world of football. And the last club of my career, also gave me a lot of attention, recognition and everything, developed at a later stage.
“And of course I’d be interested, interested in a position. But I need to learn a little more here [at Ajax], develop myself further and of course eventually let’s see what the future brings. United is a fantastic club, there’s a great following all over the world. Everybody wants to play for them and eventually, work for them.”
And last year as a guest on ESPN ‘s Good Morning Eredivisie, the 51-year-old went as far as to confirm contact from Old Trafford. “Manchester United? It’s always nice to read positive things about you,” Van der Sar began. “Everyone is ambitious in life. Did they contact me? Yes, a few years ago already.”
“What kind of CEO is Manchester United looking for? I am not your typical CEO. I am a CEO more for the football side of things. Ajax is very structured. Manchester United is so different and you have to work with several owners there too. Does that suit you or do you like your life in Noordwijk and Amsterdam enough? That is the question.
“I couldn’t do this job at a club I don’t like. I am extremely happy with what we have been able to achieve at Ajax. Ten years ago we had the ambition to join Europe’s elite and we have lived up to those words. We did that through hard work and without a rich sugar daddy or government funding to help us.”
The Red Devils were in frequent contact with Van der Sar during the most recent summer transfer window, having firstly taken Ten Hag off his hands before signing two of Ajax’s best players. United stumped up eye-watering £133million to sign Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and Brazilian forward Antony, as the clubs spent weeks thrashing out the pair of mega-money deals.
