Ajax to target Arsenal's Albert Stuivenberg as next manager?

Following a disastrous start to the new Dutch top flight campaign, in which they have only won one of their first seven league games, Ajax gave Maurice Steijn the boot on Monday.

Steijn departed on the back of a 4-3 loss to Utrecht on Sunday, which condemned Ajax to an eight-game winless run for the first time since the Netherlands adopted professional football in 1954.

With just 0.9 points per game during his ill-fated tenure - including opening Europa League draws with AEK Athens and Marseille - Steijn also boasts the unwanted record of the worst points-per-game tally out of all Ajax head coaches in history.

The Dutch powerhouses have appointed former assistant Hedwiges Maduro as Steijn's interim successor, and the 38-year-old's first game in charge comes against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Europa League on Thursday.

While Maduro seeks an immediate revival to his side's on-field fortunes, the Ajax board are busy scoping out potential replacements for Steijn, with the help of former manager and current advisor Louis van Gaal.

According to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad - via The Mirror - Van Gaal has recommended the appointment of Stuivenberg, who has impressed as Mikel Arteta's right-hand man at Arsenal.

The 53-year-old previously served as Van Gaal's lieutenant during the latter's stint at Manchester United between 2014 and 2016, prior to which he also took charge of the Netherlands at Under-17 and Under-21 level.

After leaving Man United, Stuivenberg just under a year in charge of Belgian giants Genk in 2017, winning 24 of his 50 games in charge of the club before being appointed to work under Rob Page and Ryan Giggs at Wales.

While undertaking his duties with Wales, Stuivenberg was appointed to Arteta's first coaching team at Arsenal in December 2019, and he exited the Wales dugout in 2021 to focus on his role in North London.

Alongside Arteta, Carlos Cuesta and the recently-departed Steve Round, Stuivenberg has helped to oversee Arsenal's transformation into a title-challenging team, while also winning one FA Cup and two Community Shields in North London.

On New Year's Day 2022, the Dutchman stepped in for the COVID-positive Arteta during a Premier League clash with Manchester City, where the Gunners took the lead before suffering an agonising late defeat with 10 men.

Van Gaal supposedly believes that Stuivenberg would be able to bring attacking football back to Amsterdam, but Arsenal will have no intention of letting their second-in-command leave.

Alongside Stuivenberg, Ajax are also thought to be interested in Manchester United assistant Mitchell van der Gaag, who served as their Under-21s head coach and was Erik ten Hag's assistant in the 2021-22 season before following his counterpart to Old Trafford.

However, Van der Gaag supposedly has no desire to leave his role at Man United, where he has already been a part of an EFL Cup-winning coaching team.