Ayodele Thomas joins NEC Nijmegen as €1m Leipzig transfer is completed

Netherlands-Nigeria winger Ayodele Thomas has joined NEC Nijmegen from Leipzig in a €1m transfer, switching from the Bundesliga to the Eredivisie on a contract running until 30 June 2030.

The 19-year-old, who operates primarily on the left wing, becomes a NEC player after less than seven months with Leipzig. He moved to the German club from PSV Under-21s on 2 February 2026 for €400,000 before making the next step in his career with his return to the Netherlands.

Thomas was born in Almere and holds Dutch and Nigerian nationality. He is listed at 1.77m and is predominantly right-footed, giving NEC a left-sided attacking player who prefers to cut inside from the flank.

His development has taken place largely in the Netherlands. Thomas joined PSV Under-21s from PSV Under-18s in July 2024, having progressed to the senior youth level after moving from PSV Under-17s. That earlier switch followed a €90,000 move from Feyenoord Under-17s to PSV at the start of 2023-24.

Before joining Feyenoord’s youth set-up, Thomas spent time with Almere City’s academy. He moved there in July 2020 before beginning his spell with Feyenoord Youth in January 2023.

Thomas’s arrival brings him back to Dutch football after his brief spell in Germany. Leipzig had signed him from PSV Under-21s, and NEC have now secured his services for €1m as he begins a new chapter in Nijmegen.

The winger has been given squad number 77 at NEC and is contracted to the club through the end of June 2030. Thomas’s move from Leipzig to NEC Nijmegen was completed on 1 September 2026.