Lately, his club has been spoken about — more often than not — in terms of players who are departing for pastures new (Frenkie de Jong has left for Barcelona and Matthijs de Ligt is out of the exit door sooner rather than later). So, one can only imagine the sheer delight (and no doubt relief) on the face of Ajax coach Erik ten Hag when sporting director Marc Overmars told him the Dutch giants had finally secured the services of Holland striker Quincy Promes. He is a player they have had on their radar for some time and they have finally got their man.
The Sons of the Gods have this week recruited the attacker from Spanish outfit Sevilla for around £15million and they have tied down the forward to a five-year deal — no doubt about how influential they think the new arrival can be with that length of contract. Promes, who is aged 27, had only spent one year in Spain and, seemingly, the lure of playing for the Eredivisie champions was far too strong to pass up. What probably also helped make up his mind is the fact that as a youngster he was involved in the Ajax youth set-up. He has, it is said, remained a fan ever since.
It’s a new start for the livewire attacker and it comes after what many would describe as a disappointing stint at Sevilla in which he only made 15 league appearances after joining them from Russian powerhouse Spartak Moscow. His time in Russia went well, though and he managed to get his hands on some silverware in helping his club to claim both the Russian Premier League and Russian Super Cup.
Promes brings both experience and flair to the Ajax squad — the former comes with the help of 37 international caps for the Netherlands as well as his time in his home country where he turned out for Twente 34 times and played 32 times for Go Ahead Eagles on loan from the aforementioned Dutch outfit.
Coach Ten Hag won’t have the chance to run the rule over the fitness, sharpness and focus of his new recruit just yet, though. As the club’s official website explains:
“Part of Ajax’s A selection will attend training camp in De Lutte this week. Promes will not attend, just like several internationals, and will start the pre-season on Monday, July 8th.”
Meanwhile, Benfica keeper Bruno Varela, who is aged 24, will once more be at Ajax next season after agreeing to extend his loan deal following his arrival in the middle of last season. He hasn’t actually played for the Amsterdam giants yet but he is seen to provide valuable cover for Andre Onana.
Expect more signings very soon as Ajax gear up for the new season ahead.