Jordi Cruyff defends Ter Stegen

Ajax technical director Jordi Cruyff defended Ter Stegen's loan move, noting the goalkeeper chose Amsterdam despite other offers and is performing well.

Marc-André Ter Stegen joined Ajax on loan last summer after facing limited opportunities at Barcelona, where he would have been second or third choice behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny. At Ajax, the German goalkeeper has performed solidly despite some criticism.

At the club's shareholders meeting, Ajax technical director Jordi Cruyff publicly backed the signing, emphasizing that Ter Stegen had other options but was motivated to play for Ajax. "Ter Stegen can play anywhere and could have played elsewhere, but he felt motivated to come and play for Ajax. These are fantastic signings," Cruyff said.

Looking ahead to the January transfer window, Cruyff suggested Ajax may make moves but nothing on the scale of the summer. "The more I say, the more expensive players become," he joked, adding that while there may be some activity, it won't match the summer's activity level.