Daley Blind leaves Manchester United to go back to Ajax Amsterdam

Daley Blind has officially joined his former club Ajax, for a transfer fee of 14 million pounds that can rise up to 18 million too.

He has reportedly joined up Ajax’s training camp in England, as the Dutch international did not travel with United’s pre-season squad for the tour in the US. Blind stayed at home before his move, and traveled to United’s training base once to greet all the staff members.

The Dutchman moves to Ajax after spending four years at Manchester United. He followed Louis Van Gaal to United, after an excellent performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Blind actually delivered the pass to Robin van Persie that resulted in the former Arsenal man’s much-acclaimed flying headed goal.

Upon his arrival to United, both Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have put Blind’s versatility to good utilization too. Blind was a regular at the centre-half position under Van Gaal, who also played him in the defensive midfield and left-back slots too.

Mourinho’s arrival meant that there was obvious doubts over Blind’s place in the team. The Portuguese manager had clarified in his first press conference as the manager of United that he preferred to have specialized players for specific positions.

Accordingly, Blind’s versatility was his biggest strength, and that is something that Mourinho was not looking for in his squad. However, the former Chelsea boss trusted the Dutchman and Blind appeared regularly in the playing XI. He even started the Europa League final against Ajax and delivered a commendable performance whilst playing in the backline.

However, lack of pace and a general increase in competition for playing XI spots meant that Blind was subsequently left on the bench more often than not.

In four years at United, Blind made 144 appearances and was a crucial part in the club’s FA Cup and Europa League triumphs. A return to Ajax is quite possibly beneficial for all parties involved in this deal.