Ajax Drastically Axe Seven Players Via WhatsApp – Including Ex-Arsenal Man Chuba Akpom

Dutch giants under fire after cutting ties with unwanted stars ahead of new era under Johnny Heitinga

In one of the most jarring off-field stories of the summer, Ajax have informed seven first-team players, including former Arsenal forward Chuba Akpom, that they are no longer part of the club’s plans — via a message in a WhatsApp group chat.

Yes, you read that right. One of the most storied clubs in European football has resorted to digital dismissal, telling a group of senior professionals that they are not only free to find new clubs but also “no longer welcome” at the training ground while they remain under contract. It’s a move that has drawn fierce criticism from the Dutch players’ union and raised eyebrows across the continent.

The WhatsApp Bombshell

The message reportedly came directly from Ajax CEO Alex Kroes, who told the players via WhatsApp that they would not be involved in any team activities going forward. They won’t train with the squad, they’ve been stripped of their parking spaces, and will now have to share a single physiotherapist among them. In essence, they’ve been frozen out.

It’s the kind of hardline approach that’s rare in elite football — and when it does happen, it usually follows months of unresolved conflict. But in this case, the players were blindsided.

According to De Telegraaf, those affected include:

• Chuba Akpom (29), former Arsenal striker

• Borna Sosa (27), Croatian left-back who spent last season on loan at Torino

• Carlos Forbs (21), ex-Man City academy talent

• Kristian Hlynsson (21), attacking midfielder

• Christian Rasmussen (22), Danish winger

• Jay Gorter (25), goalkeeper

• Branco van den Boomen (29), central midfielder

The trio of Sosa, Akpom, and Forbs were all signed during the short-lived tenure of Sven Mislintat, the former sporting director who was shown the door following a turbulent 2023-24 season. The three cost Ajax a combined €34 million, and all still have three years left on their contracts.

Meanwhile, Rasmussen and Van den Boomen are tied to the club until 2027, and both Gorter and Hlynsson until 2026 — meaning Ajax may have a tough time moving them on without some compromise on contract terminations or mutual agreements.

A Club in Chaos

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This bombshell comes in the aftermath of a rollercoaster campaign for the Amsterdam giants. Ajax had led the Eredivisie by seven points with just four games to play, only to collapse spectacularly and lose the title to PSV Eindhoven. The fallout was swift — head coach Francesco Farioli resigned, citing “different visions and timeframes” with the club’s hierarchy, despite agreeing on long-term goals.

Farioli’s departure paved the way for a familiar face: Johnny Heitinga, a former Ajax player and Dutch international, has returned to take the helm. After recently serving as Arne Slot’s assistant at Liverpool, Heitinga has signed on until 2027. But his new tenure begins under the cloud of controversy.

VVCS: A “Disgraceful” Decision

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The Dutch players’ union, VVCS, has not held back in its condemnation of Ajax’s move. In an official statement, the union blasted the club for “improper employment” and “unnecessarily damaging” the players’ reputations.

“These players are being explicitly isolated from their colleagues in the first team,” read the statement. “The VVCS considers this to be a form of improper employment and unnecessary public damage to players who bear no responsibility for the situation that has arisen. Rather, they are victims of Ajax’s misguided policy, which gave Mislintat free rein at the time.”

It’s a valid point. The players now cast aside were brought in under Mislintat’s watch, but the German executive has long since departed. The decision to freeze out the players appears less about individual performance and more about cleansing the squad of his legacy.

Chuba Akpom: From Championship Star to Castaway

Among those shown the door, Chuba Akpom’s fall from grace is perhaps the most striking. The English forward joined Ajax from Middlesbrough in 2023, having scored 28 goals in the Championship the season prior. At the time, his move was seen as a clever pick-up for a club looking to rebuild.

But things never clicked in Amsterdam. Used largely as a substitute and often played out of position, Akpom failed to make the expected impact. Despite that, he still contributed with goals off the bench — and now finds himself in career limbo once more.

Still just 29, Akpom could draw interest from English sides or even clubs in the MLS or Turkey, but the manner of his Ajax exit may complicate negotiations.

What Next for Ajax?

With pre-season just around the corner and a friendly against Hibernian on the horizon, Johnny Heitinga must now manage a dressing room divided by management decisions.

Clearing out surplus players is a standard part of any squad rebuild. But the way Ajax have gone about it has sparked questions over professionalism, dignity, and the treatment of contracted athletes.

It also sends a message to prospective signings: Ajax may be historic and ambitious, but they are not immune to modern football’s cutthroat underbelly.

Final Thoughts: Brutal, Bold, or Both?

There’s no doubt that Ajax needed change. The collapse at the end of the season exposed structural and sporting flaws. But whether axing seven players via WhatsApp and removing them from club facilities is the right way to enact that change remains debatable.

Heitinga, tasked with rebuilding trust and momentum, starts his tenure in a delicate position. The club’s long-term vision may yet be achieved, but the short-term headlines are anything but flattering.

And for the seven players banished from De Toekomst — Ajax’s famed training centre — the search for new beginnings starts now, with reputations bruised but careers still salvageable.