Ajax has announced that interim manager Fred Grim will not continue for the remainder of the season, meaning the club aims to appoint a permanent replacement soon. Erik ten Hag has turned down the offer, so who is still in the running?

Flashscorehas identified six potential candidates the club might target.

Top prospects: Iñigo Pérez, Xavi

Starting the list are two Spaniards: Rayo Vallecano's Iñigo Pérez and the Barcelona legend Xavi.

Iñigo Pérez was already considered internally after Francesco Farioli departed Ajax last summer. Football Director Marijn Beuker is a known admirer of the 37-year-old Spaniard, who has managed Rayo Vallecano since February 2024. Across 74 matches in all competitions, Pérez's team won 28, lost 24, scored 91 goals, and averaged 1.43 points per game.

Pérez has made a strong impression in La Liga with his pressing approach and rapid attacking style, guiding Rayo Vallecano to European competition for the first time in 25 years during his first full season as manager.

Ajax's other prime candidate is the FC Barcelona legendXavi, who is familiar with the Amsterdam club. Before Farioli's appointment as Ajax manager in 2024, the club reportedly held extensive talks with Xavi, who was intrigued by the accounts of Beuker and Kelvin de Lang, Ajax’s Head of Scouting.

At that time, Xavi declined the position, choosing instead to take a break after five years managing Al Sadd and FC Barcelona. That was over 18 months ago, and Ajax now holds a unique advantage that could influence Xavi.

Former FC Barcelona and Ajax coach Louis van Gaal currently serves as an advisor to Ajax's Supervisory Board, the club’s second-highest authority. Xavi and Van Gaal share a close friendship and have kept in touch since Van Gaal gave Xavi his Barcelona debut as manager in 1998.

Practical options: Paul Simonis, Mark van Bommel

A more feasible choice for Ajax is the former Go Ahead Eagles coach Paul Simonis.

The 40-year-old Simonis gained recognition in the Netherlands during the 2024/25 season when Go Ahead Eagles won the KNVB Beker, their first major trophy since the 1930s, under his leadership. Like Pérez, Simonis accomplished this in his first full season as manager. His success with the Eagles placed him on the shortlist to succeed Farioli in summer 2025.

Simonis built the foundation for Go Ahead Eagles' achievement, which led the club to a respectable 21st place in the UEFA Europa League group stage—the first time in their history competing at this level.

Whether Simonis is considered a top candidate remains uncertain; he was dismissed by Wolfsburg last Sunday after a poor start to the season, with just two wins in twelve matches. German media outlet Sky Sport reported that Simonis had been in talks with Ajax prior to his sacking, however...

Another Dutch candidate, though less likely, isMark van Bommel. The former PSV coach has been unemployed since leaving Royal Antwerp in summer 2024, a year after leading the club to their first Pro League title since 1957.

Van Bommel is an unlikely choice due to his ties with rivals PSV. The ex-midfielder of Barcelona, Bayern, and Milan played 274 games for PSV and began his coaching career there, lasting 18 months without winning any trophies.

This makes him a riskier pick, but since Van Bommel has been out of work since mid-2024, he may be more inclined to seize the chance to restart his career.

Dark horses: Will Still, Edin Terzic

Two less obvious candidates who might still pique Ajax's interest are Will Still and Edin Terzic.

Still was recently dismissed from Southampton after two successful spells in Ligue 1 with Stade Reims and RC Lens. His tenure at Southampton was poor, winning only four of 16 matches, but the Belgian-Englishman, who also speaks Dutch fluently, demonstrated promise in France. The question remains whether he wants to leave England so soon after returning for his partner.

Edin Terzic departed Borussia Dortmund after reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2024 and has not taken another job since. The German-Croatian coach won 75 and lost 29 of his 128 games with Dortmund. Though currently away from football, could he opt to restart his career by managing a challenging project like Ajax?