MANCHESTER UNITED have been dealt a blow over appointing a new director of football after Edwin van der Sar signed a new four-year Ajax contract.
The legendary Old Trafford keeper, 49, won the Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2008 — making the title-winning save in the penalty shootout.
Edwin van der Sar is currently general director at AjaxCredit: PA:Press Association
There had been hopes he would move back to United, where they have been looking for a director of football.
Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward confirmed the club had been looking into appointing a big name in the boardroom to manage transfer targets and contracts.
But the Dutch stopper, 49, quit United in 2011 after his wife Annemarie suffered a brain haemorrhage a year earlier.
He moved back to Holland to help his wife’s recuperation and thankfully she is better with no long-term effects.
He was made marketing director of his first club Ajax in 2012, moving up to general director in 2016 alongside director of football Marc Overmars.
And after nurturing an environment where the club brought through talented starlets Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, the former Juventus and Fulham keeper has become one of the most sought-after minds in football.
Not least at Old Trafford, where the club have been crying out for a director of football since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Club legend Paul Scholes is among players who think United should avoid appointing a director of football.
While manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has appointed a personal scout Simon Wells to assess players with potential.
United are among the front-runners interested in signing £85million-rated Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg, and Wells was sent by Solskjaer to run the rule over him.
Van der Sar played behind Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in one of the most impressive defences in Premier League historyCredit: EPA
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
