Ajax are braced for a January bidding war between Manchester United
and Arsenal for goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Premier League giants have both been scouting the 6ft 6"
shot-stopper in recent weeks and are set to do battle for the
Netherlands international when the transfer window opens.
But the bidding for Stekelenburg will start at £9 million, with
Ajax refusing to let him leave on the cheap.
The 28-year-old was watched by United scouts as he starred for the
Netherlands against Finland last month and again last week when he
played for Ajax against AC Milan in the Champions League.
Arsenal have also sent representatives to watch Stekelenburg in
recent weeks as manager Arsene Wenger finally looks to address his
goalkeeping situation and bring in a reliable No.1 to replace the
error-prone Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with 37-year-old Fulham
goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer but Stekelenburg represents a more
realistic long-term option.
Neither club have yet made a formal bid for Stekelenburg, who has
spent his whole career at Ajax since making his debut in February
2002. But they could be set to go head-to-head in January in a
two-way battle for his signature.
“They have both been watching him very closely recently,” an
Ajax insider told Goal.com UK.
“Ajax are expecting offers for the player in January but a top
class goalkeeper is not cheap – and he is top class.
“We accept that he would like to join one of these big clubs and he
wants to play in England.”
Goal.com UK understands that Ajax will not stand
in Stekelenburg’s way if he wants to move, but they are hopeful
that he might commit to staying in Amsterdam until the end of the
season as a show of loyalty.
Stekelenburg was in fine form for the Netherlands at the World Cup
this summer, playing a pivotal role in his country’s run to the
final against Spain.
He is believed to have been recommended to United manager Sir Alex
Ferguson by Edwin van der Sar, the 39-year-old who is in the final
year of his playing contract at Old Trafford.
Ferguson has been linked with a number of other goalkeepers,
including Atletico Madrid’s David de Gea and Anders Lindegaard of
Norwegian side Aalesund.
But Stekelenburg appears to be at the front of the queue following
the recommendation from Van der Sar, who he replaced as Netherlands
goalkeeper after the United keeper’s retirement from international
football.