Liverpool midfielder signing sparks civil WAR

James McConnell nightmare Ajax deal

Harvey Elliott went to Aston Villa where he is enduring a tough spell and James McConnell and Vitezslav Jaros joined Ajax.

While Jaros has recently got back into the team it’s fair to say the deal thus far has been a washout for midfielder McConnell.

The 21-year-old hasn’t played for Ajax since October and the head coach who signed him - John Heitinga - has already been sacked.

It’s been suggested that he could return to Liverpool in January - and the ramifications of this ill-conceived loan deal are still being felt.

Ajax chief quits over McConnell deal

The highly respected journalist Mike Verweij in De Telegraaf claims that McConnell’s signing sparked a civil war inside the Johan Cruyff Arena - with the aftershocks still being felt.

That’s because Ajax’s chief scout Kelvin de Lang is leaving the club owing to disagreements over several signings - McConnell included.

“Kelvin de Lang is leaving Ajax,” his report reads.

“The chief scout is seeking a new challenge, having not always felt heard in the signing of players and having a difficult relationship with technical director Alex Kroes.

“De Lang, for example, disagreed with the signing of James McConnell.

“The free transfer of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who had been sidelined for over a year due to serious knee injuries and is currently undergoing a medical in Amsterdam, was supposedly the straw that broke the camel's back.”

© IMAGO - James McConnell Liverpool Ajax