A year ago, Ajax were embarking upon an unexpected run to the Champions League semi-finals and despite reluctantly selling two of their star men the following summer — Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt — the majority of manager Erik ten Hag’s team was successfully kept intact.



That mainly resulted from Ten Hag, director of football Marc Overmars and chief executive Edwin van der Sar convincing players to stay for one more season as they aimed to emulate their achievements in 2018-19. But Ajax’s group-stage exit in December ruined that plan and when news emerged last week that Hakim Ziyech will join Chelsea at the end of the campaign it was a sign of things to come.



Sources have told The Athletic that four more prominent squad members will likely depart, with another three or four potentially following as a side that earned so many plaudits breaks up.



Leaving Amsterdam after winger Ziyech are expected to be goalkeeper Andre Onana...