Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son Maximilian has completed his first senior transfer, moving from one of his father’s old clubs to another.
The 19-year-old has left AC Milan to join Ajax on loan for the remainder of the season, with the option to extend the contract permanently.
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The Sweden U19 international will wear number 27 in Amsterdam, the first jersey number his father received in Malmö in 1999.
Ibrahimovic Jr. played for Milan Futuro in Serie D this season, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 16 appearances.
His performance in the reserve team saw him earn his first call-up to Massimiliano Allegri’s senior squad for the Supercoppa Italiana last month.
Ibrahimovic, an unused substitute in Milan’s 2-0 semi-final defeat by Napoli in Saudi Arabia, left the Italians weeks later.
Ajax have confirmed that he will initially play for Jong Ajax, who play in the Dutch second division, and plans to work his way up to the first team.
“We are very pleased with the arrival of Maximilian,” Ajax football director Marijn Beuker said in a club statement.
“He is a talented striker with a good sense of positioning in and around the penalty area and has a strong, goal-oriented finish.”
“He is strong at dribbling and, above all, has a great winning mentality and training attitude.”
“He will initially spend his playing minutes primarily with Ajax U23 and will regularly rotate between Ajax U23 and the first team over the course of the season in order to get used to the higher level and intensity of Ajax 1.”
“Maximilian is a player with a lot of potential and we hope that over time he can become an integral part of Ajax 1’s attack.”
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He is following in his father’s footsteps
Maximilian’s father Zlatan remains a hero at Ajax, having scored 48 goals in 110 appearances over the three years from 2001 to 2004.
However, upon his arrival at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, his son said: “I am my own person and my own player and I want to write my own story.”
“It’s nice that my father also played for Ajax,” he added. “I’m happy that I have the opportunity to develop further here too.”
Ibrahimovic arrived in Milan from Hammarby in 2022, while his father was making his second appearance as a player at the club.
Zlatan continues to hold an advisory role at San Siro, but his reduced influence has partly contributed to his son breaking new ground.
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Milan must approach their transfer business wisely
European football expert Andy Brassell told The Pitch Prospect.com: “There are a few elements.
“One person, and we don’t know if this is explicitly related to this, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a little less influential at the club than he was, for example, six months ago, before Tare was there, when he was Gerry Cardinale’s right-hand man.”
“A lot of what was at the club came through him. Another part of that is that Milan always have to look for value.”
“They no longer have the same status as they did in 1990. If there were [Marco] Van Basten and [Ruud] Gullite, [Frank] Rijkaard out there, they wouldn’t be in the market for them. There is no doubt about that.
“They have to be smart about their transfer business… and the fact is that there was this interest in Maximilian Ibrahimovic.”
“So it’s not just a loan to gain experience. You actually have the option to participate in it, which perhaps surprised me a little.”
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“Now, of course, his younger brother is still at the club, so there is still an Ibrahimovic on the playing staff. They have both become professionals.”
“But it will be really interesting to see how he does now. In every respect he is a completely different type of player. A winger.”
“But considering how much Milan have put into developing young players, he is a good player in that respect.”
“He also has the advantage of coming to Ajax when they are having a pretty bad season,” Brassell continued to SPORT.
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“The situation has improved a little under Fred Grimm and now they are back in the race for a place in the Champions League.”
“You’re talking about a player who really wouldn’t be on the bench regularly for a while.
“Now he has the opportunity to play for a club that is aiming for a place in the Champions League next season. That’s very exciting when you’re 19 years old. Plus he can once again follow in his father’s footsteps.”