Dunn's analysis was on point. The powerhouses rumored to be interested in Rafael van der Vaart were all currently in some sort of difficulty themselves. They were unable to extricate themselves from their situations to care about him. Before Nottingham Forest joined the pursuit, Germany's Hamburger SV was closest to Rafael van der Vaart.
In truth, Hamburger SV was already very keen on bringing in the Ajax captain who was in a tough situation even before the last season.
At that time, if Koeman had continued to be Ajax's main manager, van der Vaart would surely have chosen to go to Hamburger SV. However, Blind's arrival changed all that Tang En was familiar with. He persuaded Ajax's pillar of support to stay behind and help him for one season. During that time, a large half of Ajax's youth talents had just left, and the results of the team were unstable. They had needed an experienced veteran to take the lead. Without a doubt, van der Vaart was their best candidate.
