Ajax reach €25m Brian Brobbey agreement as striker nears Ligue 1 transfer

According to De Telegraaf, Ajax are demanding €25m (£21 m/$27m) from Rennes for Brobbey, with the deal including bonuses and a resale percentage. An agreement between the two clubs is said to be close. However, the ball is now in the striker’s court, as he must decide if he wants to move to France. The 23-year-old forward has also attracted interest from Bundesliga and Serie A clubs and may wait until later in the transfer window before making a decision.

Ajax re-signed Brobbey from RB Leipzig in 2022 for €16m after a short and unsuccessful spell in Germany. He is under contract with the Amsterdam club until 2027 and last season made 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals and adding six assists. Selling Brobbey would give Ajax some much-needed breathing space in the market. The club had been chasing a holding midfielder and looked at options like Chema Andres and Mario Martin from Real Madrid and Tyler Morton from Liverpool. But with money tight earlier in the window, Ajax couldn’t move fast enough, and all three players have already gone elsewhere. There was even a brief discussion about a possible return for Edson Alvarez, who is now at West Ham, but his Premier League salary made such a move impossible. 

Ajax’s plan is still to buy a replacement if Brobbey leaves, though a loan move has not been ruled out with the transfer deadline approaching. The club’s preference has always been a permanent signing, but the club's desperation might force them to reconsider. 

If Brobbey agrees on personal terms, the deal with Rennes will go through, and Ajax will have fresh resources to strengthen their midfield. The French club is confident of completing the signing, but Bundesliga and Serie A clubs could still come in late to swoop the striker.