Oleksandr Zinchenko returned to individual training at Ajax’s facilities this week, yet club correspondent Lentin Goodijk has cast serious doubt on whether the Ukraine international will earn a new contract with the Amsterdam giants.

According to Goodijk, despite strong mutual respect between both parties, Ajax have set entirely different priorities ahead of the upcoming January transfer window. With the Dutch side already well-stocked with options at left-back, the club’s hierarchy is expected to focus its recruitment efforts on strengthening other departments—most notably the attacking line.

While several observers note that a fully fit Zinchenko would comfortably rank as the strongest left-back in the current squad, the likelihood of Ajax offering him a fresh deal is presently assessed as virtually non-existent.

Zinchenko’s previous spell in Amsterdam during the second half of last season was cruelly cut short almost immediately. Having arrived during the winter window, the defender managed just 20 minutes on the pitch in February before suffering a severe knee injury against Fortuna Sittard.