Amrabat is back in the Eredivisie

The player Ajax just brought back

Amrabat needs no introduction to anyone who watched the 2022 World Cup. He was the engine behind Morocco's run to the semi-finals in Qatar, a performance that put him on the radar of clubs across Europe and eventually landed him at Manchester United. The Old Trafford stint never quite caught fire, but the quality was never in question. At 28, he arrives at the Johan Cruyff Arena with a point to prove and a long-term contract to do it on.

This is also a genuine homecoming. Amrabat came through the Eredivisie with Utrecht and then Feyenoord before heading south to Fiorentina and beyond. He knows the league, the pace of it, the culture. Ajax are not signing a player who needs time to adjust.

Where Amrabat fits the project

Ajax have had a difficult few years by their own standards. The squad rebuild has been a slow, sometimes painful process, and the club has needed marquee arrivals to accelerate it. Amrabat brings Champions League experience, international pedigree, and a profile that travels well beyond the Dutch border. Ajax moved quickly once the verbal agreement was in place, with the official announcement following within 24 hours, and the four-year contract to 2028 underlines how central he is expected to be.

This is not a short-term fix or a player being parked somewhere to run down a contract. Ajax are building around him, or at least building with him in mind.

What he brings on the pitch

Amrabat is a defensive midfielder who defends like he has a personal grievance against the opposition. He reads the game quickly, wins the ball back in tight spaces, and gives the players around him the freedom to take risks. For a club that wants to play the kind of football Ajax have always stood for, a midfielder who can protect the backline while the full-backs push on is exactly what the rebuild calls for.

Fee and salary details have not been confirmed by the club, according to Foot Mercato's reporting. What is confirmed is the contract length and the fact that Ajax moved quickly once the verbal agreement was in place, with the official announcement following within 24 hours.