Tristan Gooijer is officially a Lommel SK player. Ajax announced on Thursday through their official channels that the 21-year-old defender has been sold to the Belgian club, a move that had been expected for some time. Gooijer has signed a contract with Lommel until mid-2028.
Ajax and Lommel had already agreed a fee of around half a million euros for the defender. But talks between Gooijer and the Belgian club proved so difficult that the deal initially looked set to fall through.
That has now changed. De Telegraaf reported last weekend that the move was close again and that the parties involved had almost reached a final agreement. It is now official.
Gooijer made 13 appearances for Ajax's first team and also played 50 matches for Jong Ajax. Last season, he went on loan to PEC Zwolle, where he made 25 appearances in total.
On Wednesday, Gooijer had already said goodbye to the Ajax fans on Instagram. "After all these years, my time at Ajax is coming to an end," Gooijer began. Alongside his text, he posted a video featuring various highlights from his time in Amsterdam.
"As an 11-year-old boy, I joined the youth academy with one dream: to one day make it to the first team. As a young fan in the F-Side, it makes it even more special that I was ultimately able to wear the Ajax shirt myself at the ArenA."
"Grateful to everyone who has been part of my journey and proud that I was able to play for this wonderful club. Sometimes you can be disappointed in people without losing your love for the club," Gooijer added, slipping in a small dig. Who he was referring to was not made clear. "Ajacied forever."
At Lommel, Gooijer will become team-mates with Don-Angelo Konadu, who is on loan at the Belgian club from Ajax. Lommel are currently eighth in the Jupiler Pro League.