Ajax players leave on loan on last day of transfer period
31 January: The last couple of days before the
closing of the January transfer window saw the departure
of no less than five Ajax players, two from Henk ten Cate's
first squad and three of Young Ajax. They were loaned out
for the remainder of the season to clubs from Holland's two
professional divisions. These five players are Jan
Vertonghen (loaned out to RKC Waalwijk), Michael Krohn-Dehli
(Sparta Rotterdam), Rydell Poepon (Willem II), Derk Boerrigter
(FC Haarlem) and Donovan Slijngard (FC Groningen).
The loan deals of Young Ajax defender and captain Donovan
Slijngard (19) and left winger Derk Boerrigter (20) were
finalized on Tuesday 30 January. Slijngard, whose Ajax contract
will expire on 30 June 2008, surprisingly joins Eredivisie side
FC Groningen. Slijngard will wear the white and green of
Groningen until 30 June of this year, at least. Left winger
Derk Boerrigter's contract has been loaned out to First
Division outfit FC Haarlem until 30 June 2007, which is also
the day on which his contract with Ajax will expire. It is as
yet unknow whether or not Ajax will offer Boerrigter a
contract renewal.
The very last day of the international transfer period, 31
January, saw the departure of three players with a certain
history in the first team.
Left-footer Jan Vertonghen, for starters,
will battle against relegation with RKC Waalwijk until the end
of the current season. The 19 year-old Flemish midfielder
recently agreed a
contract extension until 2011 with Ajax, but can use
more playing time than he is likely to get in Ajax-1 this
season. Vertonghen made his official Ajax-1 début in the
dramatic Champions League qualifier against FC København
on 23 August 2006. So far, he had six first team appearances.
His contract renewal and the fact that head-coach Henk ten
Cate has spoken highly of Vertonghen on several
occasions, would suggest that Vertonghen will at some point
return to Amsterdam.
First teamer Michael Krohn-Dehli (23) will
wear the classic red and white stripes of Sparta Rotterdam
for the remainder of the season. The Dane, who can play at
almost every offensive position, first joined Ajax in 2000. He
developed into one of Young Ajax's best players
and clinched the league title in
the Beloftencompetitie (Eredivisie for
reserves teams) in 2004. In that same season he came very close
to the first team under head-coach Ronald Koeman: Krohn-Dehli
made his unofficial début, in the 14 October 2003
friendly against Djurgårdens IF in Sweden, but did not
see action in an official game - and decided to move on to RKC
Waalwijk
in May 2004. He played in Waalwijk for two seasons and
developed so well that Ajax to sign him up on a 'Bosman' in November
2005. Krohn-Dehli finished the season with RKC Waalwijk,
returned to Ajax in the summer of 2006 and finally made his
official Ajax-1 début on 17 September 2006 against Roda
JC. He had three appearances in total so far, each time
as a sub. For the second time in his career, Michael
Krohn-Dehli leaves the ArenA. He is tied to Ajax until the
summer of 2009, but a big break in Amsterdam seems less
and less likely for the Dane.
Finally, striker Rydell Poepon (19) has
left Ajax to play for struggling Eredivisie outfit Willem II
for the remainder of the current campaign. Poepon is not
officially a member of Henk ten Cate's A-squad and has not yet
made his official Ajax-1 début, but he did see action
in five friendly fixtures against amateur opposition
in pre-season (summer 2006). He netted five times in those
games and has a contract with Ajax until the summer of
2008.
On Wednesday 31 January, at 23.59 hours and 59 seconds CET,
the January transfer window closed. The balance for Ajax:
Markus Rosenberg out,
Edgar Davids in - and five players out on loan. The
agent of Zdenek Grygera, whose contract will expire on 30 June
of this year, has now officially confirmed that the Czech
defender will finish the season in Amsterdam and then move to
Juventus, the club of Grygera's dreams. He can join the Turin
giants on a free transfer. A transfer of Ryab Babel (Newcastle
United were said to be interested) has fallen through. The only
player who could still leave the ArenA is Mauro Rosales. Ajax
are said to be in talks with River Plate. The
South-American transfer window closes one week later than
the European one, which gives the Argentinian giants
extra time to submit their bank guarantee. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
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