Ex-Manchester United player has contract with Ajax terminated

Ajax and Daley Blind have decided to end their contract six months early (NurPhoto)

Ex-Manchester United player has contract with Ajax terminated

Faruq Ibrahim 20:17 - 27.12.2022

Former Manchester United defender who helped the Netherlands reach the World Cup quarterfinals has had his contract with Ajax terminated six months early.

Former Manchester United defender Daley Blind has had his contract with Ajax terminated by mutual consent. 

The club announced that Blind, who still had a contract with the club until June 2023, had worked with the club to have his contract terminated early. 

There have been no pointers to why Blind’s contract was terminated, but it is believed that the player and club remain in good standing despite the early termination.

Daley Blind set to leave Ajax as a legend 

Blind, now 32, returned to his boyhood club Ajax from Manchester United in July 2018 for an estimated £14 million transfer fee and continued to establish his legacy at the Dutch club.

Daley Blind (17) will be leaving as one of Ajax's most successful players

Since returning, he has won three Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, and a Dutch Super Cup. Blind made 333 appearances for Ajax over two spells, and won seven Eredivisie titles with the club, which is a record number of Eredivisie titles won with Ajax, second only to legends Johan Cruijff and Sjaak Swart. 

"I hope he can find another club to end his successful career with"

Ajax released an official announcement regarding the defender’s exit: "Ajax and Daley Blind have terminated their contract.

"The defender's contract was set to expire on June 30, 2023 but will now end on December 31, 2022."

Blind has made 333 appearances for Ajax and 99 appearances for the Dutch national team

Ajax chief executive, and former Manchester United goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar said: "Over the course of the last few days, we reached an agreement with Daley to terminate his contract.

"I hope he can find another club to end his successful career with.

"Together with Daley, we have decided on a match in the Arena where he can say a proper goodbye to the supporters."

Blind was joined by his father Danny Blind, also a former Ajax player, in leaving the club, as the older Blind also stepped down from his supervisory role with the club. 

Blind's rumored next stop is Royal Antwerp, but the defender will undoubtedly have plenty of suitors after a successful 2022 World Cup campaign with the Netherlands, where he helped them advance to the quarterfinal after playing all five matches.  

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