Georgian striker from Metz, Georges Mikautadze, has signed for the next five seasons with Ajax Amsterdam, the two clubs announced on Wednesday morning, in exchange for 16 million euros (plus 3 million bonuses) , according to the Dutch club.
The top scorer in Ligue 2, with 23 goals last season, “signs a contract in Amsterdam until June 30, 2028,” the Dutch club said in a statement posted on its website.
“Ajax pays transfer compensation of more than 16 million euros to FC Metz, this amount cannot exceed 19 million euros with bonuses,” said the Dutch club.
The departure of the 22-year-old player, who was still under contract until 2027 with the Garnets, was financially inevitable, justified FC Metz.
In its press release, the Lorraine club affirmed that “its economic model, which is not made up of unlimited means and which must finance its sporting model of training club, by conviction and by necessity, forces it to let go today. ‘one of the architects of its latest successes, in accordance with a budget thus validated by the DNCG’, financial policeman of French football.
Passed by the training center of Olympique Lyonnais then AS Saint-Priest, Mikautadze joined FC Metz in 2017. The native of Lyon signed his first professional contract there in December 2019 and was then loaned for two seasons ( 2020/2022) at RFC Seraing (D2 then Belgian D1).
Returning to Metz, in L2, at the start of the 2022/23 season, the Georgian international (16 caps, 4 goals), who was voted best player and best director of the second division championship last season, largely contributed to the accession of FC Metz to Ligue 1.
Mikautadze had already scored two goals since the start of the season, against Marseille (2-2), then at Clermont (1-0) to give the Lorraine club its first victory of the season on Sunday. FC Metz will receive Reims on Sunday (3:00 p.m.) during the fourth day of Ligue 1.