Edwin van der Sar Wants 'Success at Ajax' Amid Manchester United Links

Edwin van der Sar isn't in any rush to return to Manchester United as a technical director, instead prioritising achieving his ambitions at Ajax.

Van Der Sar, who won the UEFA Champions League as United's first-choice goalkeeper in 2008, played down the idea of a return to Old Trafford when speaking to BT Sport (h/t Paul Clarke of the Manchester Evening News): "No, I think I've said it before. I want to make this a success at Ajax. You need to build up your qualities and your strengths. I'm trying out a lot of different things here. I still have unfinished business here."

Clarke noted how the Red Devils are still on the lookout for a technical director. Van Der Sar has been touted as an option after some fine work as CEO in Amsterdam, including overseeing the Eredivisie club's memorable run to the Champions League semi-finals last season.

Demands for United to entrust the ongoing rebuild of the squad to a technical director have grown in recent seasons. The club has regressed mightily since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager in 2013, with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all struggling in the dugout.

Successive managers have been unable to put United back on top, despite massive spending. The problem has been a series of underwhelming signings, including Marouane Fellaini, Angel di Maria, Nemanja Matic, Fred, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

Mourinho acquired the latter from Arsenal in the winter of 2018, but Sanchez was loaned to Inter Milan this summer. He still accrued £5 million in bonuses, despite scoring just twice in 27 appearances for United last season, according to Joe Miles of The Sun.

The bloated deal handed to Sanchez with little in return is symbolic of United's decline in recent years. Most of the criticism has been levied against executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

He recently gave an interview to fanzine United We Stand (h/t Metro's Coral Barry) and defended the football knowledge of those making recruitment decisions at the club: "The decisions related to recruitment are all taken by football experts. My involvement is signing off the money."

Despite Woodward's words, many believe United still need fresh ideas for transfers and team building. Among them, Lille Sporting director Luis Campos told Sky Sports (h/t Liam Corless of the Manchester Evening News) United must hire somebody in a similar position, saying: "Of course I believe I could help Manchester United."

Corless described how United have wanted help in the technical department since dismissing Mourinho back in December.

In the meantime, United have still been spending big, making Harry Maguire the most-expensive defender on the planet and paying Crystal Palace £50 million for right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer. Even so, Solskjaer has also been giving more minutes to young players, with 23-year-old schemer Andreas Pereira and striker Mason Greenwood, 18, getting game time.

At the moment, the Red Devils' overall strategy appears somewhat muddled. Solskjaer is pushing toward a blueprint dependent on building through youth, something a technical director with an in-depth knowledge of the European market would help refine.