Van den Boomen leaves Ajax for Angers — and the Amsterdam club take nothing in return

The Amsterdam ArenA car park was still half-empty when Branco van den Boomen’s exit route was finalised. The midfielder’s locker room belongings are being packed, his shirt will hang elsewhere next season, and Ajax will not receive a single euro in compensation.

It appears certain that the Amsterdammers will allow Van den Boomen to join Angers on a free transfer. The move is scheduled to be completed within days, though internal voices at #DoneDeal are already questioning the logic. The club’s budget pressures are cited as the decisive factor.

At the #DoneDeal table, one voice posed a blunt question: “You would think that as a true Amsterdam market trader you could still get something out of it, wouldn’t you?” The remark drew quick nods, before a qualifier followed: “But you see it happen all the time. Especially when a salary weighs so heavily on the books.”

Van den Boomen’s contract at Ajax was widely regarded as one of the club’s more expensive midfield deals. Sources close to the negotiations indicated that the wage burden made retaining him unsustainable, leaving the club little choice but to release him without compensation.

Angers, meanwhile, will secure a ready-made Ligue 1 midfielder at no immediate cost, adding depth to a squad that has struggled for consistency in recent months. The French side’s interest was confirmed late last week, and paperwork is expected to be signed before the upcoming international break.

The development comes as part of a wider reshuffle at Ajax, where several high-earning players are under review. Club officials have privately conceded that wage restructuring is now a priority, even if it means parting with established names.

For Van den Boomen, the move represents a fresh start in France after two seasons in Amsterdam. His departure leaves a midfield void that the club will attempt to fill through the transfer market, with several names already linked in speculative reports.

At Angers, the Dutch midfielder will join a squad that currently sits in the bottom half of Ligue 1, separated from safety by goal difference alone. His arrival is seen as a calculated risk by the French club, who are balancing ambition with financial prudence.