Son of Ibrahimovic signs for Ajax as Taylor takes road to Rome

Two weeks after Ajax announced the arrival of Jordi Cruyff as director of football, another of the club’s famous names is echoing in the corridors with the arrival of Maximilian Ibrahimovic on loan from AC Milan.

The 19-year-old eldest son of Zlatan, who spent three seasons in Amsterdam at the start of his career and won two Eredivisie league titles, will spend the rest of the season at Ajax, with an option for the club to buy him at the end of the period.

Maximilian signed terms with Milan, his father’s last club, in 2022 but has been unable to break into the first team.

He said in an interview that he took up football late, at the age of nine, and initially “hated” the sport because of the burden of being constantly compared to Zlatan. “Everything was always bad. He scored so many goals …” he said.

Ajax have also sold midfielder Kenneth Taylor to Italian club Lazio for €16.9 million, a deal that will give the club more financial legroom in the transfer window.

The 23-year-old Netherlands international was pitched straight into the first team for an away match at Hellas Verona, which Lazio won 1-0. His team-mates included another Dutchman, former Fortuna Sittard striker Tijjani Noslin, who joined Lazio from Verona in 2024.

Exit Avila

Taylor scored 36 goals in 184 matches for Ajax, but will hope to establish himself as an international player during his spell in Italy. After being called up to the Netherlands squad for the first time in 2022 he has won just five international caps.

Ajax have also loaned out Argentinian defender Gaston Avila to his former club Rosario Central. The 24-year-old was signed by former director of football Sven Mislintat for €12.5 million in 2023, but played just eight first-team games during a turbulent period for the club.

The biggest domestic move of the transfer window so far has seen Heracles Almelo’s top scorer Jizz Hornkamp move to AZ Alkmaar for around €4.6 million. Hornkamp has been joined in Alkmaar by winger Ayoub Oufkir, who was signed from Sparta Rotterdam.

Feyenoord have bought no players so far, but Julian Carranza, who scored the goal that knocked Milan out of last year’s Champions League, has been sold to Mexican club Necaxa.

The 25-year-old Argentinian striker spent the first part of the season on loan at English Championship club Leicester City but played just nine first-team matches.

PSV have made no moves either, but Peter Bosz is expected to look for a striker after Ricardo Pepi broke his forearm in the weekend win against Excelsior, which has put the American out of action for at least two months.