AZ and Peer Koopmeiners will officially stay together for longer. The club confirmed on Tuesday that the midfielder has signed a one-year extension and is now under contract until mid-2029.
Koopmeiners made his AZ first-team debut in 2021, but did not develop as quickly as his brother Teun, now at Juventus, and went out on loan twice, to Excelsior and Almere City.
Since returning, the 26-year-old midfielder has become an important player for AZ. Last season, partly because of Jordy Clasie's injury problems, he was almost a regular starter every week.
He has also started this season strongly. As captain, he recently got to lift the Johan Cruyff Shield after the emphatic win over PSV (0-4). Koopmeiners played an important role, including with his assist for the 0-2.
Earlier this summer, Koopmeiners attracted concrete interest from Club Brugge among others, but no transfer materialised. "Ultimately because of the feeling of how much AZ want to keep you and all the appreciation I feel here at the club," he told the club channels. "And the history I have here at the club naturally plays a role as well.”
Seventeen years ago, he joined the youth academy in Alkmaar. "AZ definitely mean a great deal to me. I have been at AZ longer than I have not been at AZ in my life. I grew up here, was almost raised here. I can share my experience with the younger lads. And the lads can expect that from me as well," said Koopmeiners.
"When I think of Koopmeiners, I think of AZ," technical director Niels van Duinen said. "Someone who carries the club in his heart and at the same time is a very fine standard-bearer for us. Peer is a real team player. He will never let up and over the past few years he has developed into a very important player within this team."