Ajax chief Edwin van der Sar admits a deal for Manchester United defender Daley Blind is now close.

Blind has been left off Man United's pre-season tour of the US. He's set to join former club Ajax in a £14million deal.

Van der Sar told Omnisport: “I think Daley is a fantastic player.

“He's multi-functional, can be a left-back, centre-half and a defensive midfielder. For Netherlands and for Manchester United, he played many good games.

“I think it's no secret that we [Ajax] are still looking for a central defender and, if possible, it would be a great addition for Ajax to have a player with the quality of Daley to fit in the team."