Ahmetcan Kaplan Joins NEC Nijmegen in €2.5m Transfer

Ajax are set to cut ties with Ahmetcan Kaplan, with NEC Nijmegen closing in on a permanent deal worth around €2.5 million, according to Algemeen Dagblad club watcher Johan Inan.

The move keeps Kaplan in familiar surroundings. The Turkish defender spent last season on loan at NEC and is now expected to sign a four-year contract in Nijmegen, tying him to the club until mid-2030.

He earned that deal on the pitch. Kaplan impressed across 30 official matches for NEC, anchoring the back line and even chipping in with two goals. For a team with European ambitions, he quickly went from loanee to indispensable.

For Ajax, the transfer draws a line under a spell that never quite matched the investment. The Amsterdam club brought the left-footed centre-back in from Trabzonspor in the summer of 2022 for €9.5 million. His time in Amsterdam will end at 25 official appearances – a modest total for such a sizeable fee.

NEC, though, see opportunity where Ajax see an exit. Kaplan arrives as a crucial reinforcement at the back, particularly with Philippe Sandler sidelined for a long period. The Turk will also find a familiar face in the dressing room, lining up alongside compatriot Emre Mor this season.

And the stakes are high. NEC still have their eyes on the Champions League group stage, with a two-legged showdown against FK Bodø/Glimt standing between them and the biggest stage in European football. Kaplan wasn’t signed for the future alone; he’s been brought in to help them clear that final hurdle right now.