Ajax Cash Out as Ahmetcan Kaplan Joins NEC Permanently

Ajax are set to draw a line under the Ahmetcan Kaplan project. According to Algemeen Dagblad club watcher Johan Inan, the Amsterdam club have reached an agreement with NEC over a permanent transfer worth around €2.5 million.

Kaplan will sign a four-year contract in Nijmegen, tying the Turkish defender to NEC until mid-2030. He knows the club well. He spent last season there on loan and left a strong mark.

The 21-year-old impressed across 30 official matches, anchoring the back line and even chipping in with two goals. That loan spell has now turned into a long-term commitment.

For Ajax, it marks a quiet exit after a big outlay. The club brought the left-footed centre-back in from Trabzonspor in the summer of 2022 for €9.5 million. Two years on, his tally in Amsterdam will stop at 25 official appearances.

NEC, meanwhile, get exactly what they need. With Philippe Sandler sidelined for a long period, defensive reinforcements were urgent rather than optional. Kaplan slots straight into that gap, not as a gamble, but as a proven fit in their system.

He will also find a familiar face in the dressing room. This season, Kaplan will line up alongside compatriot Emre Mor, adding a Turkish spine to NEC’s European push.

And that push is very real. NEC still have their eyes on the Champions League group stage. FK Bodø/Glimt stand between them and a place at Europe’s top table in a decisive two-legged tie.

Kaplan arrives not just as a signing, but as a statement: NEC intend to be ready if they make it over that final hurdle.