Ajax want to sell a number of players before the transfer window closes, and one player who is likely to depart is Josip Sutalo.

There was an expectation that Benfica would have made a move for Sutalo after selling Antonio Silva to AFC Bournemouth. The Portuguese giants are said to have a long-standing interest in Sutalo, but are now pursuing a deal to sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis and have seen a €20 million offer for the defender rejected by Southampton. 

It is possible that Benfica could still make a move for Sutalo if they fail to land Harwood-Bellis, but they also have Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo and PSV Eindhoven's Ryan Flamingo on their shortlist.

There have also been rumours about Premier League clubs being interested, and Fulham have been linked to the Croatian defender. It is, however, unclear how serious the Cottagers' interest is.

Various reports claim that Ajax would want around €15 million for Sutalo. Should both he and Ko Itakura leave, it is expected Ajax will look to sign a new centre-back this summer. 

In addition to Benfica and Fulham, Lazio have also registered an interest in Sutalo.

According to Di Marzio, Lazio want to strengthen their defence, and they are very keen on signing Sutalo.

Sparta Prague's Stepan Chaloupek is also of interest to Lazio, but Sutalo is their top target.

A right centre-back is starting to feel like more of a priority for Ajax. On the left, Ajax have two very good options in Daley Blind and Youri Baas. Should both Sutalo and Itakura leave this summer, Ajax's options on the right will be Aaron Bouwman and Dies Janse.

Bouwman is extremely talented, but it is also very clear that he still has flaws in his game and may not yet be a starter in a team that wins the Eredivisie.

Janse was quite impressive last season on loan at FC Groningen, but similarly to Bouwman, he is still very inexperienced and probably not a starter in a title-winning team.

One idea could be to sign an established and experienced right-back who could also play at centre-back. It has been reported that Michel Sanchez wants a right-back who could become a third centre-back in possession and really help in build-up. 

By signing a player capable of covering both positions, it would likely mean Bouwman and Janse would still get enough playing time. However, it would also mean Michel has a more established centre-back option for games against quality opponents where there is less room for error.

Ajax have explored a deal to sign Lutsharel Geertruida, who suits this profile, but the defender seems to now be on his way to PSV Eindhoven.

In the case Ajax do not sign a centre-back, it is possible we may see Blind and Baas play together. They are both left-footed, which isn't ideal, but on paper, they are probably Ajax's best centre-backs.