A definitive breakthrough of Naci Ünüvar at Ajax is not forthcoming for the time being. The Amsterdammers now want to rent it out, it reports General Newspaper. The attacking midfielder recently extended his contract in Amsterdam until the summer of 2026, but the competition is fierce with the reigning national champion. Making minutes elsewhere now seems to be the best option for the talent.
It is not yet known where Ünüvar will be kept by Ajax. Earlier, Ajax watcher Johan Inan of the General Newspaper in the podcast of that newspaper already that FC Twente had inquired about Ünüvar. To date, it has not come to a temporary transition, because the midfielder wanted to go for his chance with the team from Amsterdam. However, it now seems that he does want to make playing minutes elsewhere. There would be a lot of interest in Ünüvar from the Eredivisie. He would not have a preference for a particular club, except that it must be a club that plays on real grass.
Ajax fans have been waiting for Ünüvar’s final breakthrough for years. In the corridors, the Zaandammer with Turkish roots was quietly compared to another enormous talent: Abdelhak Nouri. Both small in stature, very technical, easy to score and real crowd favorites. Ünüvar already made his debut in professional football in December 2019 when he replaced Brian Brobbey at Jong Ajax. Not much later, on January 22, 2020, he graced his debut in Ajax’s main squad with a goal. In the TOTO KNVB Cup against the amateurs of Spakenburg he decorated a penalty that he used himself. He was then, at sixteen years and 223 days, the youngest scoring debutant ever for Ajax.
Last season he had a great season in the Kitchen Champion Division. Ünüvar was one of the trendsetters of Young Ajax with sixteen hits and twelve assists. In preparation for the current season, he regularly played for the team from Amsterdam. However, when all internationals returned to the capital, Ünüvar more or less disappeared from view. In recent years, Ajax bought many players who can play in the favorite spot of the talent, behind the strikers on 10. Davy Klaassen, Steven Berghuis and Mohammed Kudus are currently above him in the pecking order. In addition, captain Dusan Tadic and record purchase Steven Bergwijn can also play on 10. The recent contract extension shows confidence from the club. Now it’s up to Ünüvar to show it elsewhere.