Fulham defender Kenny Tete has admitted he could have joined Ajax this summer. They, though, didn’t want to pay him what Marco Silva’s side could offer.
The full-back has been speaking to NOS in the Netherlands about a busy summer. He headed into the transfer window as a free agent, with his Fulham deal coming to an end.
They were keen to keep him, but the defender initially decided to assess the market before making a decision.
That saw him linked with several clubs. At one point it appeared he was close to signing for Everton. Former club Ajax were also credited with an interest. Tete is a product of their youth system, playing for them at every level before his Eredivisie debut in 2015.
He only went on to make 55 appearances for them in total before leaving for Lyon in 2017. He spent three years there before then joining Fulham.
He’s now a key player at the club, and they were delighted to lock him down to a new deal in the summer after the doubts about his future. Tete is happy to stay but admits part of it was to do with money.
Fulham salary couldn’t be matched
“I just extended my contract, so I’m doing really well. Yes, I’m happy,” he said.
“It’s not a very big club, more of a family club. A fantastic club in one of London’s nicer neighbourhoods. We’re a great club, and we’ve grown a lot over the years.”
“Of course, I was a free agent. There was some inquiring. But not like, ‘Bam, we want you,’” he added about interest from Ajax.
“Some things have changed at Ajax as well. Salaries have gone down; they only give large sums to the big players now.
“It was clear to me that I wanted to stay here. Of course, if Ajax came knocking… That’s always special. You remain a fan. But I’m grateful that I can stay here. In terms of everything: London, the Premier League, a great team, a good coach. Those are things you have to appreciate before you go somewhere else. Otherwise, you might go to Ajax and be stuck in a rut.
“And ultimately, I also have to think about my retirement,” says Tete with a grin. “I think they can afford me. It’s not like I earn thirty million here, but it also depends on who they want to give the money to.”
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