Ajax have told NEC Nijmegen they must raise their offer for Dennis Rommedahl if they wish to secure the services of the Denmark winger.

A bid from NEC has already been rejected as insufficient by the Amsterdam giants, who may now consider a loan deal.

"We would prefer to sell Rommedahl," Ajax technical director Danny Blind told newspaper De Telegraaf.

"If that can't happen, loaning him out is also an option - for a certain fee, and not for the fee that NEC now wants to pay."

The 30-year-old has struggled for first-team football since the arrival of coach Marco van Basten in the summer.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer has told Ajax he does not want to talk about a new contract until the end of the season.

Vermeer, whose current deal runs until the summer of 2010, told Sportweek magazine: "We've agreed to evaluate things no sooner than the end of the season.

"At the moment I want to be fully focused on playing for Ajax and I don't want to talk about contracts."

The 22-year-old added: "I started as third keeper, but I've played a lot of games since then, so that's nice.

"That I'm close to the starting XI is something I see as a compliment."