‘It’s always good to consider a move’ – Overmars reacts to Arsenal links

Joe Williams
Marc Overmars Arsenal

Marc Overmars says he is happy at Ajax with his team “like a family” amid reports he could replace Edu as technical director at Arsenal.

The former Netherlands international played 141 times for Arsenal over three seasons at the Premier League club, scoring 41 goals in the process.

He won one Premier League title, an FA Cup and a Charity Shield and remains an icon of the club 21 years after his departure.

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Overmars has been director of football at Ajax since July 2012 and reports last month linked him with a new role at Arsenal.

The Daily Express claimed Overmars was one of three options that the Gunners had lined up in case they wanted to replace Edu at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite admitting that it’s “always good to consider a move”, Overmars is currently happy with his job at the Dutch club.

“As I’ve said before a number of times we’re really enjoying ourselves,” Overmars told Ajax TV.

“We’re moving in the right direction. The four of us form good management and that’s important. We’re like a family, we’re close. And that’s important too. And who knows, we might have some good news soon.

“I’m not getting any younger. I’ve been offered the opportunity to go elsewhere too. That’s what happens and it’s always good to consider a move.

“But then I just think about how well things are going here. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If your old shoes are still comfy, keep wearing them.”

Edu has come under pressure over his signings with pundits and fans underwhelmed despite the club spending £156.8m – including potential add-ons – in the summer market.

But the Brazilian claims that Arsenal needed to strengthen their squad as much as their starting XI. He insisted: “We suffered last year because we lost a lot of players and we didn’t really have good back-ups to play games.

“I believe we need a squad to win games. We need a squad to be in a good position at the end of the season because it is not only about the first XI. Again, we need a foundation. We need players to play and then we need players to cover the first XI.

“Now let’s put it into context. For example, in the midfield, you have Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey. So, for me and for Mikel it doesn’t make sense to sign another player to be on top of them if they are the ones that are going to be playing.

“That’s why we chose Albert Sambi Lokonga to help them. If you go up front we have Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli. I want to see them playing together.

“In the number 10 position, we saw a gap there because we just have Emile Smith Rowe. We needed a number 10 with the same quality to be there, help and play.

“Where we needed to spend big, big money, for me and for Mikel, that was in the centre-back position because we needed someone to fill that position. David Luiz was leaving and this was the one where we needed someone to come here and straight away have an impact on the team with the right profile of what we believe for the short, medium and long term.

“That was Ben White. That is why we went there and signed Ben White to give the squad what the squad needed.”

 

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