NEC Nijmegen is pushing to make Ahmetcan Kaplan's loan move from Ajax permanent, as the Eredivisie club prepares for Champions League qualifiers.
The 21-year-old Turkish defender spent last season on loan at NEC, making 30 appearances and playing over 2,400 minutes under head coach Dick Schreuder.
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Kaplan's Future Away from Ajax
Kaplan recently featured for 30 minutes in Ajax's pre-season friendly against Olympiakos but was left out of subsequent matches against FK Vojvodina and Burnley, indicating he is not part of the club's plans.
Ajax originally signed Kaplan from Trabzonspor in 2022 for around €9 million, but injuries hampered his first season.
He broke into the starting lineup midway through the 2023-24 campaign, though manager Francesco Farioli later preferred Youri Baas at left center-back.
Trabzonspor had previously attempted to re-sign Kaplan, but those talks fell through.
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NEC Also Closing in on Dusan Tadic
Alongside the Kaplan pursuit, NEC is finalizing a deal for former Ajax forward Dusan Tadic.
The 37-year-old Serbian attacker has agreed to join NEC, choosing the sporting project in Nijmegen over more lucrative foreign offers, according to De Telegraaf.
NEC initially considered Tadic's arrival financially impossible, but the player is convinced by the club's vision.
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NEC finished third in the Eredivisie last season and will face Olympiakos in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
