Ajax officially sign 5 year contract with defender previously linked to Liverpool
Ajax have moved decisively to secure one of Europe’s brightest young defensive talents, confirming a new five-year deal for a player who had been firmly on Liverpool’s radar
Liverpool’s season is unravelling at the worst possible time.
In the space of just four days, Arne Slot’s side were hammered 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on April 4, then travelled to Paris and were dominated in a 2-0 Champions League first-leg defeat to PSG on April 8, with Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doing the damage.
They now face the near-impossible task of overturning that deficit at Anfield on April 14, while simultaneously sitting fifth in the Premier League and fighting just to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Tomorrow’s home game against Fulham is not a free hit, it is a must-win.
The injury situation offers some relief.
Alexander Isak returned from the bench against PSG and is expected to start against Fulham, which is a boost Slot desperately needs.
However, Alisson Becker remains sidelined with a knee problem until at least early May, Conor Bradley’s season is over after knee surgery, and both Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez are doubts heading into the weekend.
Off the pitch, the mood is equally heavy.
Two weeks after Mohamed Salah confirmed his departure, Andy Robertson officially announced that he will leave when his contract expires this summer, ending a nine-year association with the club and nearly 400 appearances.
The foundations of this squad are shifting rapidly.
It is against this backdrop that Liverpool had been reportedly working quietly on a solution, a left-footed, technically gifted 18-year-old who operates comfortably as a defensive midfielder, centre-back, or left-back.
Jorthy Mokio had posted 91% passing accuracy in the Champions League this season, ranking in the top 10% of midfielders under 21 in Europe, and had contributed two goals and an assist across 21 Eredivisie appearances.
Liverpool, Manchester United, and Real Madrid were all interested in the player.
Ajax and Mokio have signed a new five-year contract running from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031, replacing a previous deal that was due to expire in 2027.
Born in Ghent on February 29, 2008, the Belgian international joined Ajax from KAA Gent in June 2024 and has since made 48 official appearances for the first team, scoring six goals.
He became the youngest non-Dutch player ever to debut for Ajax, and in February 2025 he scored the youngest-ever goal in a UEFA Europa League knockout stage match at just 16 years and 350 days old.
Ajax technical director Jordi Cruijff made clear exactly why the club moved quickly to secure his future, “Jorthy is only 18 years old and he has already played nearly 50 matches for Ajax’s first team.”
“Across Europe, everyone knows the talent he has.”
“We are very pleased that he came to us to say he wants to stay longer.”
“He can continue to develop here and contribute even more to Ajax.”
“We are confident that he will bring us a lot of joy in the seasons to come.”
For Liverpool, the door is not entirely closed, the new deal is reported to contain a significant release clause.
But for now, as they prepare to overturn a two-goal deficit against PSG without a fit first-choice goalkeeper, Mokio will be watching from Amsterdam.
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