Erik ten Hag is getting the band back together. Ajax's dream run to the brink of the Champions League final in 2018/19 was built on a thrilling core of homegrown talents, but it was inevitable that the moment Tottenham cruelly cut them down to size in Amsterdam was also the moment the exodus gathered pace.
Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek were two of the stars of that season, along with central defender Matthijs de Ligt, but De Jong had already agreed to move to Barcelona. De Ligt would join Juventus and a year later Van de Beek was signing on at Manchester United.
Ten Hag was the man who masterminded it all - on the pitch, at least - and now he's followed Van de Beek to Old Trafford, although he'll hope for more success than his countryman.
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The 52-year-old's first act as United manager could be to reunite himself with De Jong. United have opened talks with Barcelona over a transfer and although they won't be held to ransom to fix Barcelona's financial problems, there is hope a deal can be done and confidence that the player is open to the move.
It would raise the exciting prospect of De Jong and Van de Beek thriving in midfield for Ten Hag once again and the centre of the pitch has been the new manager's top priority this summer.
But while the signing of De Jong would be a significant statement of intent for United, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be good news for Van de Beek too.
The 25-year-old has had a terrible time at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick and would have welcomed the arrival of Ten Hag. He finished the season on loan at Everton and in two years has made just four Premier League starts for United.
There are spaces to be filled in midfield this summer, with Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all leaving the club, and Van de Beek will get a chance to impress in pre-season, as will James Garner.
Ten Hag pursuing a move for De Jong shows what he considers the missing element in United's midfield, however. There has long been an expectation that United would sign a holding midfielder this summer and while De Jong can play a deep role, he isn't the kind of footballer who would replace Matic and allow United to play a single pivot in a 4-3-3.
What De Jong will bring is a significant improvement in United's passing in midfield, an area they've been short in for a while. He will drop deep to collect possession but isn't a midfielder who will stop counterattacks on his own in the manner of Rodri or Fabinho.
United have lacked control and solidity in midfield for the past couple of seasons, but fixing both issues in one summer might have been a demand too far. If De Jong arrives he will provide that control of the ball that Ten Hag valued so much at Ajax.
It might be instructive to look at how that midfield was set up to see how it might work at Old Trafford. It was essentially a 4-2-3-1, with De Jong partnering Lasse Schone in a deep midfield role and Van de Beek playing ahead of them, perhaps as more of a No. 8 than the kind of No. 10 Solskjaer preferred in Bruno Fernandes.
If Ten Hag was to repeat that at United, De Jong would likely partner with someone like Fred, offering a double shield of protection when the ball is turned over rather than relying on one world-class defensive midfielder. That would leave Fernandes playing in the slightly more advanced role, although when United are in possession there will be flexibility.
The issue for Van de Beek is that will once again leave him competing with Fernandes for that one position. The Portuguese has had a poor season but he's got more than enough credit in the bank to keep his place in the side.
Van de Beek is much better at keeping possession than Fernandes and might find he still gets more opportunities under Ten Hag than he has so far in his United career, but it would be a brave decision to play him as a 'double six' alongside De Jong, when both players also like to get forward when they can.
The balance of United's midfield under Ten Hag might not be too dissimilar from under Solskjaer and Rangnick, but the addition of De Jong might mean it plays in a very different way.
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