Ajax teenager Abdullah Ouzzan emerging as first-team key after Real Madrid move falls through

Ajax midfielder Abdullah Ouzzan is being lined up for a central first-team role this season after the 17-year-old Morocco youth international continued his eye-catching form in pre-season.

The attacking midfielder, who came close to joining Real Madrid last year before the Spanish club pulled out, has impressed Ajax coach Michael this summer and is now viewed as a core member of the senior squad for the remainder of the campaign.

In Ajax’s most recent match, Ouzzan scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 win, earning strong praise from his manager.
“His performance was excellent. He still needs to keep developing, but I see him as a player who can help us,” Michael said afterwards.

Ouzzan’s rapid progress

Ouzzan’s development has accelerated over the past year. After Real Madrid chose not to complete a move for the teenager, he committed his future to Ajax by extending his contract until 2028.

“Coming back to Ajax was the perfect choice for me. I am very happy,” Ouzzan said of that decision.

The midfielder is captain of Morocco’s youth national teams and made his senior debut for Ajax last season in the KNVB Cup. During the current pre-season, he has been one of the most used players from Jong Ajax under Michael, amassing 227 minutes and producing a series of strong displays.

That form has carried into competitive action. In a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying tie against Vojvodina, Ouzzan came off the bench in the 72nd minute and scored to seal a 4-1 victory.

New deal planned on 18th birthday

According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Ajax’s director of football Jordi Cruyff is already preparing the next step in Ouzzan’s career.

Ouzzan turns 18 on 15 January, and Cruyff is reportedly planning to hand him a fresh contract on his birthday, underlining the club’s intention to build around the young midfielder.

In Ajax’s latest outing, against Burnley, Ouzzan started in midfield alongside Genero Johnson, 19, and Mokio, 18, wearing the number 10 shirt. In the 67th minute he capitalised on an attack initiated by Konadu to score, further strengthening his case for regular selection.

“I want to become a real footballer”

Speaking after that match, Ouzzan said he is determined to prove that his early promise can translate into a sustained senior career.

“Everyone says I am talented, but now I want to prove it and become a real player in this sport,” he said.

Any prospect of a move to Real Madrid is now firmly behind him, with Ouzzan fully focused on his role at Ajax.

“Real Madrid is in the past for me,” is the clear implication from his comments, as he outlines a simple plan: hard work, patience and versatility.

“I am young, patient, and I have to work hard. Left, left, right, 10, 8, 6. I don’t care about the position,” he explained, listing the roles he is prepared to play across midfield.

“I want to focus on getting minutes and staying patient… I am only 17 years old, and I have my own goals and ambitions.”

With Ajax intent on securing his long-term future and Michael increasingly trusting him in decisive moments, Ouzzan’s emergence raises the question of whether Real Madrid may come to regret walking away from a deal for one of Morocco’s most promising young talents.