Ajax agree deal to sign Sofyan Amrabat on a free transfer

Ajax have reached an agreement with Sofyan Amrabat to sign the Morocco midfielder on a free transfer this summer, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The proposed move would see Amrabat join Ajax after the end of his contract with Fenerbahce. The agreement is for the 30-year-old to return to the Netherlands, where he began his senior career and previously played for FC Utrecht and Feyenoord.

Amrabat spent last season on loan from Fenerbahce at Spanish club Real Betis. His time in Spain followed a period in which he remained an important figure at international level for Morocco.

The midfielder recently represented his country at the World Cup and helped Morocco reach the quarter-finals. Morocco’s run to the last eight was a significant achievement, with Amrabat playing a key part in the team’s progress through the tournament.

His proposed move to Ajax would mark a return to Dutch football after an absence of eight years. Amrabat previously played in the Netherlands for FC Utrecht and Feyenoord before continuing his career abroad.

Although born in the Dutch city of Huizen, Amrabat represents Morocco internationally and holds Dutch nationality. He has therefore spent a substantial part of his football life connected to both countries.

Ajax’s agreement with the player is understood to relate to a free transfer, meaning the club would not pay a fee to Fenerbahce once Amrabat’s contract has ended. The deal would bring an experienced international midfielder back to the country where he first established himself in professional football.

Amrabat’s time at FC Utrecht was followed by a spell at Feyenoord, before he moved on from Dutch football eight years ago. Since then, he has continued his career at clubs outside the Netherlands and has become a regular part of Morocco’s national-team set-up.

His latest club experience came with Real Betis, where he spent the previous season on loan from Fenerbahce. With his Fenerbahce contract now coming to an end, Ajax have moved to agree terms directly with the player during the current summer transfer window.

Romano’s report indicates that the next stage of the move is Amrabat’s return to Ajax, completing a cycle that began with his early years in Dutch football. The agreement would make him the latest experienced player to rejoin the Netherlands after developing his career elsewhere.

For Amrabat, the transfer would offer a return to familiar surroundings and to the country of his birth. For Ajax, it would secure the arrival of a 30-year-old midfielder with experience of domestic football in the Netherlands, club football abroad and international competition with Morocco.