Chelsea linked with shock move for ex-Arsenal man Marc Overmars to overhaul fruitless youth academy
Flying Dutchman is bringing through homegrown talents in the Eredivise as fast as he used to go down the Highbury wing
CHELSEA wants to add ex-Arsenal star Marc Overmars to their back-room staff, according to reports in Spain.
The current director of football at Ajax has been linked to the job by Sport, the Spanish paper with close links to the Dutchman’s former club Barcelona.
Ajax could only finish second in the Eredivisie last season behind champions PSV but their young squad earned plenty of praise.
Since returning to Ajax in 2012, after playing their five years before moving to the Gunners in 1997, the 43-year-old has been partly responsible for a number of success stories.
Polish striker Arek Milik was picked up from Leverkusen for just £2m and in his first full professional season hit 21 league goals in 31 games.
And Holland are benefiting from the former winger’s work with 19-year-old Jairo Riedewald now a first-team regular in the top flight.
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And fellow teenager Riechedly Bazoer has also grown through Overmars’ academy to break into the national team after five goals from midfield last season.
Liverpool have also been looking at another of Ajax’s success stories in Anwar El Ghazi who was has been expertly nurtured by the club and scored 11 Eredivisie goals last season despite a handful of injuries.
While Premier League rivals Manchester United want to land teenager Hossein Zamani from Ajax's superb academy before he even gets to break into the senior side.
Chelsea already have Michael Emanelo in a similar role at the club but his success is questionable with John Terry still the last homegrown talent to become a first-team regular.
There is little chance of Emanelo being replaced as he is a close confident of owner Roman Abramovic and has seen off plenty of Stamford Bridge managers without losing his lofty post.
The report claims Chelsea have reached out to the 1995 Champions League winners but are yet to hear back.
But, fans shouldn't get as it could have been Overmars' bright idea to take Gunners striker Yaya Sanogo on a season-long loan last year that was cut short after just six months and 30 touches of the ball in 47 miserable minutes.