New deals for Ajax duo
Friday, February 2, 2007
Article summary
AFC Ajax have agreed contract extensions with two of their most promising young players, Dutch international forward Ryan Babel and goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer.
Article body
Two-year extensions
Dutch international Babel, who had 16 months remaining on his previous deal, has signed an extension with the Amsterdam club until 30 June 2010. The 20-year-old's new terms will come into effect on 1 July this year. Similarly, Netherlands Under-21 goalkeeper Vermeer has prolonged his contract by two years until 30 June 2010.
Young gun
Babel broke into the Ajax team aged 17 in February 2004 and has registered 61 appearances and 12 goals in the Eredivisie to date. He has scored three times in the Dutch league this season as well as finding the net once in the UEFA Cup. Since making a goalscoring debut for the Netherlands in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Romania in March 2005, Babel has gone on to claim eleven caps and three goals for his country.
Debut against Start
Vermeer, meanwhile, was a member of the Jong Orange side that won the UEFA European U21 Championship last summer amd made his first, and so far only, appearance for the Ajax senior team in the first round of the UEFA Cup against IK Start. He played the second half of Ajax's 4-0 second-leg triumph, which also featured a goal from Babel.
