Ajax made to pay for Suárez
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Article summary
AFC Ajax have finally landed the 20-year-old Uruguayan international forward Luis Suárez in a €7.5m move from Dutch Eredivisie rivals FC Groningen.
Article body
Joint statement
Suárez has left Groningen, where he scored ten goals in 29 league games last season, to move to Ajax on a five-year contract. The two clubs issued a joint statement saying: "Because of the long relationship between FC Groningen and Ajax, the clubs have been on speaking terms throughout the whole process, leading to this positive conclusion."
Contract binding
The Royal Netherlands Football Association had ruled that Suárez's contract, which he signed last summer when joining Groningen from Club Nacional de Football, was binding; so unless Ajax were prepared to pay a significant transfer fee, he would remain a Groningen player. Today the 20-year-old Suárez, who won his only international cap in February, got his wish and could be registered for Ajax's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie against Czech side SK Slavia Praha on 15 and 29 August. Groningen will enter the UEFA Cup in the first round.
