Jorthy Mokio: The Ajax wonderkid who rejected Barcelona to follow in footsteps of Matthijs de Ligt & Jorrel Hato

Mokio was born in the city of Ghent in northwest Belgium to Congolese parents, the middle child in the family alongside three sisters and two brothers. His mother noticed that he had a natural inclination for football from an extremely young age, as Mokio revealed in an interview with Ajax Life in February: "According to her, I could barely walk when I was already kicking everything."

Later transitioning from household items to a ball, Mokio got used to playing football on asphalt instead of grass, learning invaluable technical skills while also developing a hard edge. "Street football teaches you a lot. You practice your technique, dish out and take," he added. "Sometimes you shout at your friend or opponent or get into a fight. In any case, you always give 100 percent. That is the basis. I was playing against older boys early on."

Mokio also said he "imagined myself as Yaya Toure" after settling on No.10 as his favourite position, which is where he would go on to play for amateur side KFC Merelbeke. However, when he was 12, Mokio was offered an internship at Gent, who saw him as more of a defender than an attacker and worked towards developing that side of his game.

It proved to be a shrewd call as Mokio made history for the club in October 2023. He became the youngest Gent player to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League when making his debut against Basel, and the following March, he made his senior bow at 16 years and 29 days old in a 5-1 Belgian Pro League win over Standard Liege, the first of four first-team appearances he would make towards the end of the campaign.

By the summer of 2024, Mokio had already represented Belgium at Under-15, U16 and U17 levels, and top clubs across the continent were taking notice. Gent tried to renew Mokio's contract, but eventually resigned themselves to losing the youngster after approaches from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSV and Ajax.

All four clubs reportedly tabled bids for Mokio, and according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona even sent their sporting director, Deco, to meet with his family and agent face to face. But in the end, Mokio decided to reject Barca in favour of a move to Ajax after being advised by his father.

“They told us that they were going to do as with Lamine Yamal or Pau Cubarsí," Thierry Mokio said in a subsequent sit-down with Het Belang van Limburg. “The pressure in Barca is from another dimension. If it doesn’t work, you end up in Osasuna, for example, and you’re lost. It seemed too big a step to me.”

On June 24, 2024, Mokio joined Ajax on a free transfer, committing to a three-year contract. It was a huge coup for the Dutch side to see off competition from Barca, and Mokio didn't have to wait long to make his first appearance for Francesco Farioli's senior squad.

Mokio came off the bench against Jagiellonia Białystok in a UEFA Europa League play-off clash at the end of August, becoming the youngest foreign player to ever line up for Ajax in the process. "At first, I was a little nervous, but it actually went quite well," Mokio said in a humble admission after the final whistle.

He had to keep a handle on his nerves again the following month, as he was called up for Belgium U21 duty for the first time. Mokio surprised himself again with an impressive performance in a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan and even marked the occasion with a goal, making him the second-youngest scorer for Belgium in U21 European Championship qualifying behind a certain Romelu Lukaku.

Mokio would, however, only feature once more for the Ajax first team in 2024 as the decision was taken for him to build up experience in the reserves. It was a move that he embraced maturely, with the Belgian ace shining for Jong Ajax across 17 second-division appearances, chipping in with two goals while adding an another string to his bow by providing cover in defensive midfield.

When the new year rolled around, Mokio was ready to force his way back into Farioli's plans. The Ajax boss gave Mokio his Eredivisie debut as a starter away at Fortuna Sittard at the age of 16 years and 346, just three days older than Clarence Seedorf was when he became the club's youngest player in the competition way back in 1992.

Four days later, Mokio claimed another record outright, only this time it extended across the entire continent. With one perfectly judged swing of his right boot, Mokio scored a sensational volley from the edge of the box to wrap up a 2-0 win for Ajax in the first leg of their Europa League knockout stage play-off tie against Union Saint-Gilloise. It was a remarkable strike, and it made Mokio the youngest player to ever score in a Europa League knockout game. But his all-round performance was even more extraordinary, as Dutch journalist Mike Verweij observed in De Telegraaf: "Mokio played along as if he had been in the Ajax first team for years and at one point was almost directing things in a Cruyffian way."

There is no higher praise than that for any Ajax player. Mokio certainly drew confidence from the widespread acclaim he drew that night, featuring in a further 12 games in all competitions before the end of the season as Ajax came agonisingly close to winning back the Eredivisie having reached the Europa League last 16.

Mokio was also included in Rudi Garcia's first Belgium squad in March, and got his first taste of senior international football when coming on for the final two minutes of a 2-1 Nations League play-off defeat to Ukraine. Garcia drafted Mokio back in for Belgium's first set of 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June to complete what has been an extraordinary year for the former Gent prospect.

Mokio is a versatile player who can operate as both a full-back and a midfielder, but is naturally a left-sided centre-half best suited to a three-man defensive line. Standing at six foot tall, the teenager is more than able to hold his own physically at the top level, and he is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, always looking to break through the lines even when under intense pressure.

It doesn't matter where he is on the pitch, Mokio can put the ball on a sixpence and will bust a gut to contribute in the final third when the opportunity arises. The best example of that came in Ajax's 3-1 Eredivisie win against NAC on April 6, as Mokio pinged a perfect 40-yard cross-field pass to a team-mate from his own half, then proceeded to sprint all the way to the box to turn a low cross from Kenneth Taylor into the net.

There is scope for Mokio to evolve into a midfielder with those abilities, but it is in defence where he has the most potential. The 17-year-old is dominant in the air, rarely loses any duels and already reads the game very well, while his pace on the turn gives Ajax the option to play with a higher line. When you factor all of that in, it's not surprising that Barcelona were so eager to integrate him into Hansi Flick's system!

Mokio is well ahead of schedule with his development, but there are still one or two weaknesses in his game. He certainly needs to work on his tactical awareness, which is a common issue with players so young, mainly due to their desperation to prove themselves.

There are times when Ajax lose their shape because Mokio pushes up to engage the opposition too soon. The teenager will have to be more disciplined to reach the next level, particularly if he joins an even bigger club than Ajax, because the best teams in the world will always ruthlessly exploit such mistakes.

That impulsiveness is also visible when Mokio goes forward. There's nothing wrong with his technique, and he's competent with both feet, but his decision-making can be erratic. These are things that naturally improve with experience, though, and it appears Mokio has the mature head on his shoulders needed to keep progressing at a rapid rate.

Mokio has been most frequently compared to France U21 international Castello Lukeba and Arsenal's Declan Rice, which makes a lot of sense. He is just as versatile as Lukeba and has the same penchant for driving through midfield like Rice, but a more accurate profile match comes with Manchester City's best player of the 2024-25 season: Josko Gvardiol.

City suffered a major decline as a collective, but Gvardiol was a beacon of excellence at the back as he swapped between roles in the centre and on the left flank. Gvardiol is a top-class operator in both defence and attack, and Mokio is cut from a similar cloth, albeit without the same final product at this stage of his career.

He is equally as capable as Gvardiol when it comes to cutting out danger, dribbling past opponents and making incisive passes, while they also share the same ability to rapidly change direction. It remains to be seen if Mokio reaches the same career heights as Gvardiol, but the potential is undeniably there.

Back in February, it was reported that Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal had all sent scouts to watch Mokio in action for Ajax. Bayern have also been linked with the teenage defender, but it seems he will almost certainly be staying in Amsterdam, at least for one more year.

According to Voetbal International, Ajax have reached an agreement in principle with Mokio over a contract extension that will tie him to the club until 2028. Keeping the Belgian for another three seasons may be impossible if he continues on his current trajectory, but the new deal will ensure that Ajax can demand a sizeable fee for their latest jewel.

Right now, Mokio is in the perfect place. There is no sense rushing a move away from a club with such a stellar track record for creating future superstars. Ajax are back in the Champions League, too, and he could get plenty of chances to make an impact on the biggest stage if he impresses new head coach John Heitinga in pre-season.

Nailing down a starting role at Ajax alongside Hato must be Mokio's first priority before he turns 18 in February. If he does that, there is a every chance a bidding war will erupt in the 2026 summer window.

Gent’s technical director Arnar Vidarsson described Mokio as a "phenomenal footballer" in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad after his debut for the club just over a year ago. Belgium and Ajax fans would surely agree with that now, and global recognition is not too far away.