Many transfer rumours arose about the extension of Bounida's contract after the two parties seemingly couldn't reach an agreement in late January. Ajax's efforts to reduce salary costs after Sven Mislintat's short stay in Amsterdam limited the club's financial offers, which Bounida's representatives deemed too crucial for the youngster's deal.
After Ajax and the talented Bounida reportedly started to drift further apart, news broke earlier this week about the two parties coming closer to an agreement after the Moroccan-Belgian talent and his team approved Ajax's development plan.
Bounida put pen to paper on a contract until 2028. Ajax have the option to extend it for one more year.
With Ajax confirming the extension of Bounida's contract, Ajax director Marijn Beuker recalls a long process of negotiations. "We are very happy that Rayane has extended his contract at Ajax. The negotiations took a while, but we are very pleased that Rayane believes in the sporting plan we discussed together and that the deal fits within Ajax's new reality," said Beuker.
"Rayane is a joy to watch with his fine technique, actions in small spaces, and ability to play with both feet. With his game intelligence, creativity and clever positioning, he symbolises our vision of talent."
Young phenom
18-year-old Bounida joined Ajax in 2022 from Belgian side Anderlecht after picking Ajax from a big pool of interested teams, including top European clubs. Bounida rose to fame from a very young age after known freestyle football influencer Soufiane Touzani recorded videos with the young talent.
"Rayane had a difficult period in Amsterdam at the beginning, during which he had to be patient and work hard," Beuker continued.
Bounida made his professional debut earlier this season for Ajax's U21 side in the Dutch Keuken Kampioen Divisie, the second level of Dutch football. So far, the creative youngster has impressed with 5 goals and an assist in just 339 minutes. Bounida has also recently appeared on the first team's matchday squads and will reportedly join the first team full-time in the summer of 2025.
"In recent months, he has again made fantastic strides, taking him from Ajax O19 to Jong Ajax and Ajax 1. We look forward to his further development at Ajax.‘’