Jordi Cruyff won't air his views publicly on Abdellah Ouazane, who is enjoying his breakthrough season at Ajax. The winger's rapid development features in Monday's edition of Rondo on Ziggo Sport.
Theo Janssen takes a critical view of Ouazane: "We should be very happy that he is here. Let him develop for a few years and become stronger and better. We're seeing moments of class now, but we're also seeing plenty of moments that show he still has steps to take. He's still too playful."
"That's his age," Cruyff adds. "It's a process we all go through." The Ajax director then addresses whether work is already under way on a new contract for the forward, whose current deal in Amsterdam runs until mid-2028.
Cruyff gives nothing away: "I'm not allowed to talk about that. He's a minor, so I can't say anything about it. He's talented. But every compliment makes him more expensive, so I'm saying nothing," he says with a quip.
Presenter Wytse van der Goot asks Cruyff whether he often talks to Míchel Sánchez about players. "He picks the team; I have to respect that. And if we want to bring in a player, we produce a report together. So everything is done jointly."
"I don't pick the team. I can, however, have a say in strategy. So if you have a good young player who can make the step up, you shouldn't tie another player down for a long time. Otherwise, you block his path. That's more the sort of thing I'm involved in," the Ajax technical director stresses.
Van der Goot then suggests that Ajax want to bring in a left winger during the winter break. "I'm not that popular with the press, I think. I work for Ajax and don't want to alert other clubs. Anything that gets out only makes it harder to bring someone in."