Thilo Kehrer signed a contract with Ajax on Deadline Day. ''That was a first for me. Very exciting, it was different. I’m happy to be here,'' the German centre-back revealed in conversation with ESPN on Friday.
A day earlier, Kehrer had first heard about Ajax's interest. ''Everything happened very quickly: talks with Jordi (Cruyff, ed.), with the coach. After that, the clubs wrapped it up. The next day I was on my way.''
Soon after completing the move, the summer signing got a message from fellow German Marc-André ter Stegen, who is on loan from FC Barcelona. ''I didn’t need to ask much. I already knew Ajax very well. I played for Schalke, not far from here. Everything was already very clear.''
Before making the switch, Kehrer gave the move to Ajax careful thought. The club's ambition ultimately convinced him. ''The most important thing for me is to be competitive and to play for titles, to have the ambition to win trophies and matches. That is possible here. The foundation is there, now we have to make it work.''
After arriving from AS Monaco, Kehrer was quickly struck by his new surroundings. ''The scale, the stadium, the atmosphere and the pure football. The club have their own DNA.''
His deal in Amsterdam runs until mid-2027. Whether he will still be at Ajax beyond that remains unclear. ''I don’t know yet. We’ll see how the season goes, but I’m certainly open to it. There are still many matches until next year. We’ll see.''
Already knowing Caio Henrique and Simon Adringa from his time at Monaco has also helped Kehrer settle in. ''It makes it easier when you have familiar faces. They help you integrate. You already have a connection. It was nice to see them again. I know Marc ter Stegen and Julian Brandt from when I played against them in the Bundesliga and from the German national team.''