With all the flurry of big-name signings and European cup finals, you may have missed a veteran striker move back to his boyhood club: Dutch giants Ajax have brought back Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, signing him up on a free transfer after his contract with Bundesliga heavyweights Schalke expired at the end of last season.
Huntelaar’s contract with Ajax is set to last for one year, with the deal expiring in June 2018.
The Dutch striker made the move after he grew frustrated over his lack of playing time with Schalke during the recently-ended 2017-18 campaign, where he made just seven starts over the course of the season. The 33-year-old striker made his feelings known in an interview a few days ago, saying, “I am not satisfied with the way things are going at Schalke right now. I have an expiring contract, so this is my last year [with the club].”
A striker with still much to offer, evidenced by his five goals last season, despite being out for much of it through injury, Amsterdam-based Ajax wasted no time snapping up their former hero, bringing him back to Holland and making the move official just yesterday.
“I’m pleased that Klaas Jan has chosen Ajax, because we’ve been interested in him for several years,” Ajax Director of Policy Marc Overmars said in the club’s official website.
“With Klaas Jan, we’re bringing in a experienced player who knows the club very well. He’s fit and, most importantly, he’s eager to be successful with Ajax, while at the same time, he knows what to expect. I know that Klaas Jan will play an important role at Ajax, both on and off the field,” the Ajax official added.
“It’s no secret that Ajax is my club. So I’m extremely happy to come back here,” A jubilant Huntelaar said in a statement.
“I feel very fit and I’m already looking forward to starting preparations at the end of June. I’ve won trophies with Ajax, but not the championship. The goal at the end of the season is to hoist that trophy up with the team,” the veteran centre-forward added.
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A prolific forward during his prime, Huntelaar was frequently linked with a move to the Premier League some years ago, with Manchester United and Manchester City the two clubs most commonly reported to be interested in signing the striker, and who could blame them? During the 2011-12 season, Huntelaar scored 29 goals in 34 Bundesliga games, which made him the German league’s top scorer that time.
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Throughout his career, he has appeared in no less than 533 matches for the likes of PSV, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Schalke, scoring an impressive 309 goals along the way throughout a career spanning 15 years and counting – numbers you’d only hope to see at a EuroPalace online casino.
And it appears Huntelaar has no intentions of stopping any time soon, who said, “My role [at Ajax] is clear, but I’m not coming here to slow down.”
Ajax, understandably, will be hoping Huntelaar can rediscover his form come next season and become once again worthy of the name “The Hunter.”