Anton Gaaei wants Ajax exit, claims columnist Henk Spaan

Anton Gaaei wants to leave Ajax rather than being pushed towards the exit by the club, according to columnist Henk Spaan. FCUpdate, citing Spaan’s column for Het Parool, reports that the 77-year-old has challenged the suggestion that Ajax are trying to sell the Danish right-back.

Spaan believes Gaaei’s position is understandable because of the way the player has been treated. He urged Ajax to speak directly with the defender and argued that Gaaei has repeatedly shown he can contribute in important moments. As FCUpdate relayed from the column: “Gaaei wants to leave Ajax.” No official confirmation of the player’s intentions or Ajax’s transfer plans was provided.

Gaaei joined Ajax in the winter of 2023 during Sven Mislintat’s tenure. His difficult opening period in Amsterdam was followed by an improvement, and FCUpdate says he regularly demonstrated his value last season, although questions have remained about his defensive reliability.

Under manager Míchel Sánchez, Gaaei has had to accept Lucas Rosa moving ahead of him in the hierarchy. He nevertheless returned to the starting line-up against Shelbourne in Thursday’s Conference League qualifier and scored with a powerful right-footed effort. Spaan highlighted that goal while making the case that the defender is far from an insignificant member of the squad. For now, however, the suggestion that Gaaei is actively seeking an Ajax exit remains an attributed claim rather than a confirmed transfer development.