FC Porto move collapses, player admits: “It was tough, but then…” | OneFootball

Kenneth Taylor was one of FC Porto’s main targets in the last transfer window. The 23-year-old Dutch midfielder was on the list of André Villas-Boas and Francesco Farioli, but the high financial demands set by Ajax put a stop to the possibility, and the deal eventually fell through. A few months later, Taylor admits he went through a difficult phase because of this outcome, although he assures he is happy in Amsterdam.

“I don’t want to leave Ajax just like that. FC Porto is a great club. I don’t see it as a punishment to be here. I’m certainly not disappointed with Ajax. It was tough for a while when the transfer window closed. After that, I managed to change my mindset quickly,” Kenneth Taylor began in an interview with ESPN, published on Friday.

With a move to Portugal, at least for now, off the table, the Ajax academy product now even admits the possibility of renewing his contract, which expires in two years.

“I still don’t know [if I will renew]. They [Ajax] have already signaled that intention, but we’re not working on it yet,” says the Dutch international.

One of FC Porto’s arguments for trying to close the deal was precisely Farioli. The Italian coach wanted to keep the player he had managed in the Netherlands, and Taylor regrets that the good season under Farioli’s leadership was not crowned with the title.

“Without him, we wouldn’t be where we are now. We had a goal and we achieved it. Of course, we wanted to be champions, and when you have a nine-point lead… It’s still painful. But it worked throughout the season. As Ajax, we must and always want to project that. That’s what I believe in. We did things the right way last season,” said the midfielder from Alkmaar, recalling the outcome that cost Ajax the championship on the final matchday, after another slip-up in Groningen.

The negotiation figures

Recall the amounts discussed between FC Porto and Ajax for Kenneth Taylor. The board led by André Villas-Boas reportedly made a formal offer of 15 million euros, a proposal that the Dutch club’s officials considered “ridiculous.”

In July, Telegraaf reported that Ajax was asking for around 35 million euros to release one of the most influential players in the squad.

Talks cooled off, and only at the end of the summer window did Ajax admit to lowering the price by 10 million, bringing the asking price to 25 million. By then, FC Porto had already strengthened their midfield with the arrivals of Victor Froholdt (Copenhagen), Pablo Rosario (Nice), and Gabri Veiga (Al Ahli).

Kenneth Taylor ended up staying at Ajax and is now in his sixth season with the first team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.