Wout Weghorst’s Ajax chapter is drifting towards its final pages, and everyone involved seems to feel it.
The 33-year-old striker, whose contract in Amsterdam is running down with no extension on the table, is being pulled in two clear directions: a return home to FC Twente or one last crack at the European elite. Both paths are real. Both are gathering noise.
A farewell in slow motion
For weeks, the domestic narrative has centred on Enschede. FC Twente want him, and the feeling inside Dutch football is that the move fits. Ajax watcher Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf put it plainly on the Kick-Off podcast: there is a “strong chance” Weghorst continues his career at Twente.
“I think Weghorst could be on his way to FC Twente, if FC Twente want him. Ten Hag will be keen on him; he knows him well. There’s a good chance Weghorst will go to Twente,” Verweij said, underlining how natural the link looks.
For a long time this season, Weghorst stood in the shadows. Kasper Dolberg held the starting role, and the veteran Dutchman had to live with the bench. That changed under new manager Óscar García. The competition swung. Weghorst fought his way into the XI and, with typical stubbornness, refused to let go.
On Saturday, he underlined that resurgence with a goal – against FC Twente, of all opponents. Yet the script turned bitter. Ajax still lost 1-2 at home, and the man in the spotlight walked off angry.
Shortly after the break, García decided he had seen enough and sent on Don-Angelo Konadu. Weghorst, towering and tense, trudged towards the touchline, fury written across his face. When he reached his coach, he pointedly ignored the outstretched hand. No handshake. No pretence.
The frustration did not end there. After the match, Cristian Willaert tried to bring him in front of the camera. The Netherlands international declined. No interview. No explanations. Just a storm cloud walking down the tunnel.
Twente or Europe?
Behind that anger lies a simple truth: Weghorst is weighing up the final big move of his career.
Twente remain firmly in the frame. A return to the club where his name still carries weight would offer minutes, responsibility, and a starring role in a familiar league. It would also give him the chance to lead a side with ambition at home and in Europe.
But the story does not stop at the Dutch border.
Parool journalist Jop van Kempen reports that several foreign clubs have joined the chase, with Benfica among those monitoring the situation. The Lisbon giants, coached by José Mourinho, could offer a very different stage: packed European nights, title pressure, and a manager who thrives on combative personalities.
“José Mourinho is currently the manager there. Wout and José – that strikes me as a brilliant combination,” Van Kempen wrote, capturing the intrigue of that potential partnership.
At Benfica, Vangelis Pavlidis is currently the first-choice striker. His form suggests a summer move is more likely than not, especially after another prolific season following his AZ days. Behind him, Croatian forward Franjo Ivanovic represents the future: young, talented, and already trusted by Mourinho.
A vacancy could soon open at the heart of that attack. Benfica will not want to be caught short. A seasoned, hard-running, penalty-box specialist like Weghorst would tick a lot of boxes for a coach who prizes work rate and mentality as much as goals.
A striker at a crossroads
So the picture is clear. Ajax are not expected to renew. Twente are circling. Benfica and other foreign clubs are watching. Weghorst, still scoring, still raging at substitutions, stands at a crossroads.
Does he choose the emotional pull of home, leading Twente as a standard-bearer in the Eredivisie? Or does he gamble on one last run in the European spotlight, under a coach like Mourinho, in a city where strikers are judged by what they do on the biggest nights?
For a player who has built a career on defying expectations and forcing doors open, the next one he walks through could define how his story is remembered.
Might be interesting for you:
