Ajax have been without a permanent coach since John Heitinga was dismissed on November 6th after a series of disappointing results and a poor start to the season in all competitions. Interim manager Fred Grim has been in charge since then.

According to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Ajax have reached out to former Malmo FF managerHenrik Rydstrom during their hunt for a new manager. Rydstrom guided Malmo to two league championships and a Swedish Cup victory before being dismissed in his third season after a disappointing run — the record title holders were sixth in the league at the time of his sacking — and a painful home loss to Ludogorets in the UEFA Europa League.

Expressen’s Anel Avdic stated that "multiple sources" informed the Swedish outlet that Ajax had contacted Rydstrom, who revealed in November that several clubs had already approached him: "You could say a lot is happening. Perhaps that’s why I remain calm. There are many options," Rydstrom told Dagens Nyheter.

"Now it’s more about selecting the right opportunity. Naturally, this decision also involves ensuring it suits my family."

Ajax have dropped in both the Eredivisie and UEFA Champions League standings, falling to fifth place domestically while losing all five of their UEFA Champions League matches, leaving them at the bottom of their group.