Youri Regeer no longer felt he was in the right place at Ajax. The holding midfielder said as much shortly after arriving at Werder Bremen, where the Dutchman was presented this week.
"I wasn't happy at Ajax," Regeer says bluntly at a Werder Bremen press event. "For a year and a half, people had been writing that they were looking for a new number 6, that Ajax weren't happy. That's why it wasn't a difficult decision for me to leave for Werder."
Werder Bremen had tracked the 23-year-old Regeer for some time, but only made their move at the end of August. That came after an injury to Jens Stage.
"I hadn't heard from them for a few weeks, but on Sunday morning I got a call saying Bremen wanted me. Then it all moved very quickly. The way the club's leadership see me sounded good," Regeer recalls of the negotiations with the German club.
Now the former Ajax player cannot wait to get going in Bremen. "The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world. And when you look at Werder's history, it wasn't a difficult decision for me," Regeer says, delighted with his move to the 2004 champions.
Davy Klaassen played for Werder Bremen between 2018 and 2020 and has already wished Regeer the best of luck in northern Germany. "He said Werder Bremen were a great club. And that I could get in touch if I needed anything."
For his time at Werder Bremen, Regeer has chosen the number 44 shirt. "There were a few numbers available, but not immediately one that suited me. Then I thought about which number I wanted, and decided to take the number I had when I made my professional debut."