Ajax Cash Out as NEC Finalizes Ahmetcan Kaplan Deal

Ajax are preparing to draw a line under the Ahmetcan Kaplan chapter. NEC have reached an agreement with the Amsterdam club over a permanent move for the Turkish defender, according to Algemeen Dagblad club watcher Johan Inan, in a deal worth around €2.5 million.

Kaplan will sign a four-year contract in Nijmegen, tying him to NEC until mid-2030. For the club, it is the logical next step after a loan spell that turned into one of last season’s quiet success stories.

The 21-year-old centre-back impressed across 30 official matches for NEC, anchoring the defence and even chipping in with two goals. He settled quickly, looked comfortable in the Eredivisie, and gave NEC a left-footed balance at the back they had been missing.

Ajax, though, are cutting their losses. They paid Trabzonspor €9.5 million for Kaplan in the summer of 2022, viewing him as a long-term defensive investment. That vision never fully materialised. His time in Amsterdam will end at 25 official appearances, a tally that underlines how stop-start his Ajax spell became.

For NEC, the move is about necessity as much as opportunity. With Philippe Sandler sidelined for a lengthy period, the club needed a reliable central defender who already understands the system and the demands. Kaplan ticks every box: young, proven in their shirt, and with upside still to unlock.

He will not be alone in flying the Turkish flag in Nijmegen either. This season, Kaplan will line up alongside compatriot Emre Mor, adding a familiar face in the dressing room and another layer of connection on the pitch.

And the timing matters. NEC are still chasing a place in the Champions League group stage, with a two-legged showdown against FK Bodø/Glimt standing between them and the biggest stage in European club football.

Locking in Kaplan now is more than a routine domestic transfer. It is a statement that NEC intend to step into that spotlight with a defence they trust.