“Shame” – Fulham player opens up on transfer threat, wanted to stay

Fulham’s Kenny Tete has expressed his disappointment over Ajax forcing him out of the club.

The Dutchman has been speaking to Viaplay and Soccer News have relayed his comments on the transfer threat.

Tete joined Fulham from Lyon in September 2020, when Scott Parker was in charge at the London club.

Tete played 140 matches for Marco Silva’s side. Last summer, he agreed to join Everton while Ajax reportedly showed interest in him. However, a move never took shape and he’s still at Fulham.

Fulham player didn’t want Ajax exit

Lyon signed the right-back from Ajax in 2017, and the Fulham man now admits he had no plans to leave the Eredivisie side.

The 30-year-old joined the Dutch club’s academy in 2005 and climbed through their tanks before making his way to the first team in 2013.

He made 55 appearances for Ajax’s senior team, mainly as a right sided defender and at times in other positions.

Peter Bosz was then the manager of the Dutch club and didn’t utilise Tete regularly during the 2016/17 season. To put it in context, he played 450 minutes from five league matches for Ajax.

Marcel Keizer replaced Bosz at the start of the 2017/18 season, when the current Fulham player had less than a year left on his contract.

Transfer threat for Fulham player

Tete opens up on Keizer’s threat, which made him reconsider his position. He ended up joining the French club before leaving them for the Premier League side in 2020.

“I didn’t want to renew my contract because I wasn’t playing. And then Bosz suddenly left,” he said.

“He [Keizer] then said to me: Kenny, we’ve sold you. I think it was to Galatasaray [he left for Lyon] Do you want to finish your transfer quietly or are you going to train with Jong Ajax?

“Then I thought: what? I can’t just hang around in the last year of my contract and see what happens? Or maybe a breath of fresh air will come, someone who sees potential in me?”

Soccer News claim the fullback ‘didn’t want to leave Ajax at all’ but now understands their decision.

“Ultimately, Ajax is a business too, you know. At least the club gets something out of it. I thought it was a shame, but it was nice and clear, and I like that. No beating around the bush, no fuss. Then I can move on,” Tete explained.

“I really liked that. At that moment, I was sad, of course. Okay, after those eleven years, I thought… But it’s a tough world. It was a business decision, and that’s how I have to approach it sometimes. It is what it is.”