Ajax have beaten off reported competition from several Premier League clubs to sign highly rated Ghanaian teenager Mohammed Kudus from Nordsjaelland.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder is thought to have cost Ajax roughly €9million and has signed a five-year contract.
Kudus came through the Right To Dream academy in Ghana, an organisation set up by former Manchester United scout Tom Vernon in the late 1990s.
Vernon and a group of investors acquired Danish Superliga side Nordsjaelland in 2016, with the view to eventually developing a team made up entirely of academy graduates, and Kudus is one of the early success stories.
Our new number #KudusDream pic.twitter.com/I91EwqsjPW
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 16, 2020
Kudus made the move to Nordsjaelland two years after the initial link was established and he proved a big hit, playing 51 league matches across two seasons with the senior side, scoring 14 times.
Eleven of those came in 2019-20, with his form attracting the interest of several of Europe's leading clubs.
But it is Ajax who have taken the plunge, with Kudus potentially seen as a long-term replacement for Hakim Ziyech, who has joined Chelsea.
Kudus, a nominee for the 2020 Golden Boy award, made his senior international debut for Ghana last year and is predicted to have a bright future.
Nima @right2dream FC Nordsjælland @afcajax
— FC Nordsjælland (@FCNordsjaelland) July 16, 2020
What a journey @KudusMohammedGH, we’re so proud of you. This is not a goodbye, it’s a we’ll see you again We wish you the best of luck in Amsterdam and we’ll follow your continuous journey in life pic.twitter.com/d8xyEJeJJv