Danish starlet Eriksen opts for Ajax
Friday, October 17, 2008
Article summary
AFC Ajax have reportedly beaten Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona to win the race to sign Odense BK's 16-year-old Denmark Under-17 midfielder Christian Eriksen on a two-and-half year contract from 1 January.
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AFC Ajax have won the race to sign Odense BK's Danish starlet Christian Eriksen who will join the club on a two-and-half year contract on 1 January.
In demand
Ajax reportedly beat Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona to sign the 16-year-old who will initially be given further time to develop in the Dutch club's youth academy. Eriksen is a skilful central midfielder who has been capped 23 times for Denmark's Under-17s and was recently named Young talent of the Year by the Danish Football Association.
Chance to develop
"We have helped Christian and his family find the right club for him," OB director Kim Brink said. "It was important to us not to stand in the way of his chance to develop even further. This way we hope to see him back in OB some day. Of course we would have liked him to stay at our club and to see him in our Superliga team eventually, but there has been such great interest in him lately that we realised it was unrealistic to keep him here." Ajax kick off their UEFA Cup Group F campaign away to Aston Villa FC next Thursday.