A Premier League and FA Cup double winner with the Gunners in 1998, Overmars had reportedly become Arsenal's new primary target for the front office role after it was claimed that initial target Monchi is set to return to Sevilla after leaving a similar job at Roma.
football.london even claimed over the weekend that Overmars actively wanted to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium, and that Ajax knew of his desire.
Whether that report was simply false or whether Ajax have been able to persuade Overmars to perform a U-turn on his future in less than two days remains to be seen.
Overmars, a 1995 Champions League winner who took up his current role in Amsterdam in 2012 after initially joining his former club as a part-time coach, is largely credited with Ajax's recruitment, continue player development and subsequent resurgence in Europe.
📝 Marc Overmars -> 30 juni 2024!
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) March 18, 2019
For example, Frenkie de Jong was signed as 17-year-old for around €1m in 2015 and will join Barcelona this summer in a deal potentially worth €86m after add-ons.
Despite the English media claiming he wanted to join Arsenal, Overmars has described himself as having a 'very good time' at Ajax after choosing to stay for another five years.
"There are still plenty of challenges at Ajax and I'm having a good time here," he told Ajax.nl.
"We are taking steps with both the youth academy and the first team. From a sporting point of view, we still want to show a lot. What is also important to me is that it is nice to work with the people around me. I get pleasure and satisfaction from that."
Leen Meijaard, chairman of Ajax's Supervisory Board spoke fondly of the contributions that Overmars has made in recent years and spoke of the importance of clarity over the future of key individuals for the continuity of the club's future success.
Source : 90min