Marc Overmars is one of Arsenal’s most recognisable former players and the Dutchman could return to the Emirates in a non-playing capacity soon.
Between 1997 and 2000, he was an impressive member of the Arsenal first team and won the Premier League with Arsene Wenger’s side before leaving for Barcelona.
After his playing career, he spent 8 years at his former club Ajax as the Director of Football.
His time with the Dutch giant saw them reemerge as one of the best teams in Europe, most notably reaching the semifinal of the Champions League in 2019.
As he searches for his next challenge, he has now been linked with a move to Arsenal, with De Telegraaf (per the Mail) claiming that he would be more than happy to accept an offer from Arsenal.
At Ajax, everything in terms of transfers ends up on the plate of director of football affairs Marc Overmars,’ their chief writer Valentijn Driessen wrote.
‘It is an open secret that he would not reject a new challenge at a major foreign top club or with his former employers FC Barcelona and Arsenal.
‘He has been associated with those two clubs before.’
Arsenal has operated smoothly with fewer people at the boardroom level. Edu has been doing his job well, it is unlikely that they will turn to Overmars soon.
Apart from Martinelli, Edu has been a huge disappointment and I hope Marc replaces him. Willian, Gabriel (the dodgy one) and Runarsson, smh.
Your suggestion that Edu is doing a good job is a matter for debate.The jury is out as far as Gabriel, Mari and Cedric is concerned ,and as I believe he was instrumental in the signing of Willian, he has a lot to answer for in my opinion.Overmars is someone with a proven track record who would go down well with a majority of Arsenal fans.
I think Mari is ok Grandad and Gabriel only got player of the month a couple of times because at the time, he was the best of a very bad bunch. I agree, Marc had a great 5 years as DOF at Ajax. I had great hopes for Edu but it turns out he’s just a good looking man in a suit who looks the part but lacks substance.
Just a thought, wasn’t Overmars instrumental in getting DB dismissed from Ajax?
Wasn’t it Overmars who, despite being part of Wenger’s incredible team, opted to join Barca, while DB remained loyal to our club?
If we are looking to bring some ex players in, DB, Santi, Patrick, Thierry, Sol and Jens come to mind as being loyal players with our DNA.
Having said that, MA needs someone to assist him, something I suggested months ago and Overmars is a fair shout 🤔😂
You are correct Ken, Overmaars and Bergkamp fell out at Ajax over footballing phylosophical differences.
I would much rather Dennis Bergkamp the intelligent consummate professional and perfectionist be brought back to contribute to Arsenal.
Erhm, why is leaving our club to play somewhere else so sacrilegious? He went to Barca after all, and gave us few good seasons. And at time we got a nice fee too.
Simply because, at that time, he was part of an incredible squad of players, who, I’m my opinion, let the club, manager and fans down.
Just my personal thoughts you understand.
Plus DB could do no wrong in my view.
And thank goodness, he did not milk the club trying to “honor his contract”
But, as a football club, sentiments should be kept aside and those who can deliver should be hired, irrespective of their past laurels. If Edvin Van De Sar can deliver results for us, then let him be the right man for the job.If it is Marc Overmars, than so be it. If it is Arsene Wenger, then a big no, let him be part of history, not the future. Right now Edu should pack his bags and leave right now. Forget his past, what value does he add to the club now?
just imagine if we weren’t such a poorly run organization and hadn’t given a totally inexperienced Edu such an important position simply because of his supposed assistance in the recruitment of Marts and instead kept Diamond Eye over Raul, then brought in someone with a proven track record, like Overmars…as I’ve said before, we need to adopt a more Dortmund/Ajax organizational model considering the obvious financial constraints of our “self-sustaining” business model…if we did, then hiring a young buck like Arteta wouldn’t have been such a stretch, since we would have the checks and balances that inevitably come with a real professional management TEAM
Erdivisie is pretty much a one team league . Ajax gets all the best youngsters and the most funding.
So he is untested.
We need coaches and player management skills and tactical nous.
Arteta and Emery were left with mountains of dead wood on fat salaries who just cruised and ran down their contracts so they could negotiate retirement packages.
Willian Lacazette Aubameyang Pepe
are all on guaranteed contracts whether they perform or not.
I think we need a quantum change in player contracts.
Two year contracts max.
25k p/w basic salary .
Then performance bonuses.
Players must agree to early termination clauses if they don’t
reach performance goals.
Until Arteta can offload all the deadwood he can only do so much.
The season after next is when we will challenge for the title.
I am not sure about Overmaars. Not saying he is not better than Edu, but still not convinced.
My only hope this season to cling onto is the Europa League (for the trophy more than Champions league football). Either win the whole thing or not qualify for Europe at all. I am reasonably confident we won’t make top 4 . Just do not want position 5 – 7 as this could mean Europa league again which is a difficult tournament (Thu followed by Sunday matches). 8th is as high as I want AFC to finish this year. Position 5 – 7 would arrest any possible progress and squad development with the same players and hopefully a winning mentality and a top 4 finish next year. The following year go for the title.
In deed I like what you people are talking about our time I agree with you that there is a lots of work to do in this beautiful and promising squad first we need to filed in some areas of the midfield to give support to our striker to score more goals and also to give chances to our young players like Gabriel and Smith as well as bringing back William Saliba
Firstly, they’re more of a two team league, as PSV has over 20 league titles and 3 of the last 5(not including last season, as play was suspended)…even so that’s really no different from most of the European Leagues, until fairly recently…his success is largely connected to his ability to continually restock both the Ajax coffers and it’s academy since 2012, regardless of whatever unfair advantageous you feel have been bestowed upon his club…to accomplish this most difficult of tasks one needs to devise an organizational plan that not only consistently identifies talent, but likewise coaches them up in just such a way that they can excel both domestically and abroad…this is no easy task…to further complicate matters you also need to know when to not sell your assets immediately so that you can raise the profile of your club by mounting successful European campaigns, which he did so successfully…so I’m not sure how you personally define “tested” but I’ll take his sort of “untested” every day of the week!
I would welcome him with open arms. Edu is responsible for bringing a 30 million 12th player for the opposition and for that alone he must be sacked at the end of the season.
If I were Arsenal execs, I’d hire top lawyers and private eyes to figure out what’s in it for Edu in the Willian transfer.
Unfortunately, Arsenal already employed a Director Of Football in the person of Richard Garlick whom is yet to resume his duties at the club.