Ajax did not manage to add a defensive midfielder to the selection this winter, but the Amsterdam team was close. Three midfielders ultimately did not come to the Netherlands due to force majeure, according to Voetbal International.
The first name that could not come to Amsterdam due to force majeure is Wataru Endo. Ajax inquired about the Japanese at Liverpool and the redundant midfielder seemed feasible. Until Arne Slot’s team had to deal with injuries. Liverpool decided not to let Endo go and Ajax had to continue the search.
Edson Álvarez could also not be added to the selection due to bad luck. Fenerbahçe was willing to cooperate in a transfer if the arrival of N’Golo Kanté would be successful. However, Al Ittihad delayed the transfer so much that the Turks no longer counted on the arrival of the Frenchman. Álvarez was not allowed to leave. The bad thing for Ajax is that Kanté still came over from Saudi Arabia at the end of the transfer market.
Hidemasa Morita is the last name who did not move to Ajax due to force majeure. The Japanese was allowed to leave for Amsterdam, as Sporting CP already had a replacement. However, he did not pass the medical examination and so that deal was off, just like the deal between Morita and Ajax.
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