Jol moving closer to Fulham switch
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Your support makes all the difference.The Ajax board's failure to back Martin Jol in the transfer market has driven the former Tottenham manager close to a move to Fulham, according to a former member of the Dutchman's backroom staff at the Amsterdam Arena.
Jol is thought to be the front-runner for the manager's job at Craven Cottage, despite having a chance to compete in the Champions League after finishing second in the Eredivisie with Ajax last season.
Arnold Muhren, who was a youth coach under Jol last season, has revealed that the 54-year-old has been told he will have to sell some of his key players, such as Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, and World Cup finalists Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, before he can buy anyone.
And that could be enough to see the ex-Tottenham boss turn his back on the chance to compete for the Eredivisie title this season.
"I know Martin is unhappy at Ajax because he wants to buy some new players but because the club lost 21million euros last year, they won't let him," said Muhren.
"There are a lot of players at the club that they want to sell.
"He wants to bring new players in but they won't let him do that without selling players first. There is no other money to spend.
"He is desperate for a striker. He has been told that he must sell Suarez and Marko Pantelic was only offered a one year deal when he wanted two or three years so he has left.
"Martin wants to win the Dutch league this season and the board want to sell Suarez. He scored 35 goals last season so he would be impossible to replace."
Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been searching for a new manager since Ry Hodgson left for Liverpool two weeks ago, could part with some of the £1.5billion he earned from the recent sale of Harrods to tempt Jol to take the job at Craven Cottage.
Although Fulham cannot offer European football, Muhren admits that Jol, who spent three years at Tottenham, could be tempted into a move back to the capital, where he still owns a house from his time at White Hart Lane.
"My understanding is that talks have already begun with Fulham," said former Manchester United player Muhren.
"I wouldn't blame him if he left. Fulham is a good club. They play good football and they reached the Europa League final last year. Maybe he is thinking that there are better prospects for him at Fulham. If he thinks he can't win the Dutch league at Ajax then he might leave."
Jol earned two successive fifth-place finishes while at Spurs and Muhren reckons he will be a big hit at Craven Cottage if he is appointed.
He said: "His record speaks for its self. He did well at Spurs and did well at Hamburg before leaving them for the same reason why he wants to leave Ajax now - he wasn't getting enough support.
"He has a very good reputation in Holland because he lost the Dutch league by just one point."
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