Liverpool kicked off their season on Sunday with a disappointing penalty shootout defeat against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.
The loss highlighted the work that needs to be done in the transfer market over the next three weeks, with plenty of incoming and outgoing business still expected.
Part of that will be finding the right loan moves for several fringe members of the Liverpool squad.
One player who has already found a brilliant temporary home for the season is goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, who joined Ajax.
After playing twice for Liverpool during the 2024/25 campaign, Jaros looks set to be first choice at Ajax under former Reds assistant coach John Heitinga.
And as Liverpool were tasting defeat in their first official match of the season, Jaros was already making an impact during his competitive debut in the Eredivisie.
Ajax goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros shouts during the friendly match between Ajax and AS Monaco
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Vitezslav Jaros helps Ajax avoid embarrassment
Liverpool fans saw the qualities of Jaros during his brief stay in the team last season. The 24-year-old is a very talented goalkeeper.
The Ajax move really is a brilliant one for him, and although Heitinga’s team seemingly struggled against newly-promoted Telstar on Sunday, Jaros came away with a clean sheet and a 2-0 win.
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And speaking to NOS’s Studio Voetbal via Voetbal International after the match, former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart – often a harsh critic – claimed that Jaros was the only reason Ajax had won.
“Ajax were very poor,” Van der Vaart claimed. “It was pure bad luck that Telstar weren’t 2-0 or 3-0 up within five minutes. The goalkeeper [Jaros] just saved Ajax.”
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Going on to slam the Amsterdam side’s performance even further, Van der Vaart’s critique does not bode well for Heitinga in his new role.
“I was quite shocked by Ajax, it was a bit embarrassing,” he said. “It’s worrying, of course. This might be one match, but you’re focused on something all preseason. Back then, I saw different things; they were on top of things, and that wasn’t the case now; there was no pressure.
“You don’t let [Milan] Zonneveld run into the keeper three times alone.”
What is Jaros’ future at Liverpool?
There has obviously been a lot of change in Liverpool’s goalkeeping department during this summer. So, it is difficult to predict what the future looks like.
But after Liverpool brought in Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman, it is hard to see where Jaros now fits in.
There is a feeling that after Mamardashvili’s arrival, Alisson Becker may ultimately depart next summer. If that happens, a space will be open at number two.
Pecsi is still young and it is unlikely that Woodman would be considered for the role, meaning Jaros may find himself as the most likely candidate.
However, after a year of playing Champions League football and challenging for titles with Ajax, it feels a stretch to say the Czech would be interested in playing second-fiddle. That is all for the future, though, for now let’s see how he gets on in Amsterdam. It has certainly been a good start.