Ajax Cuts Losses 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 agreement with NEC over a permanent transfer worth around €2.5 million.

For NEC, it’s a deal they’ve been chasing since spring. Kaplan will sign a four-year contract in Nijmegen, tying the Turkish defender to the club until mid-2030 after a hugely convincing loan spell.

He didn’t just fill a gap last season – he owned the role. Across 30 official matches for NEC, Kaplan impressed with his composure on the ball and aggression without it, and even chipped in with two goals. The loan quickly turned into an audition for a permanent stay, and he passed it.

For Ajax, the move underlines how sharply the story has turned. They brought the left-footed centre-back in from Trabzonspor in the summer of 2022 for a fee of €9.5 million, a clear statement at the time about his potential. Two years on, his Ajax tally will freeze at 25 official appearances and a transfer fee that represents a heavy markdown.

NEC, though, are looking forward, not back. Kaplan arrives as a crucial reinforcement for the back line, particularly with Philippe Sandler sidelined for a long spell. The Turk slots straight into a defence that needed both depth and personality.

He will not be alone in flying the flag for Turkey in Nijmegen. This season, Kaplan will line up alongside compatriot Emre Mor, adding a familiar face in the dressing room as NEC prepare for one of the most demanding campaigns in their history.

Because the stakes are high now. NEC still have their eyes on the Champions League group stage, with a two-legged tie against FK Bodø/Glimt standing between them and the promised land.

Kaplan hasn’t just chosen stability. He’s stepped into a club on the brink of the biggest stage it has ever seen.