Ajax have confirmed the signing of Heracles midfielder Lerin Duarte for an undisclosed fee on a four year deal.
- By Michael Bell
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The Amsterdam club needed a replacement for Christian Eriksen, who signed for Tottenham on Saturday, and although they had a bid rejected for Duarte earlier in the summer they finally have their man.
Heracles announced the deal after their match on Saturday, with only personal terms, and a medical to be sorted on the deal said to be around €2.5-3 million. These formalities have now been sorted, and Ajax have confirmed the signing of the 23 year old.
Duarte will wear the number eight shirt vacated by Eriksen, and will be given the difficult task of replacing the Dutch international, as the engine of the Ajax midfield.
Born in Rotterdam, Duarte started his career with Sparta, and made 42 league appearances for the club, scoring six goals before being snapped up by Heracles in 2011.
In the past two seasons, Duarte has impressed for Heracles, scoring ten times in 61 appearances, as the club maintained a safe position in the Eredivisie.
On completion of the deal, Duarte stated to De Telegraaf, “It may sound strange for a Rotterdammer, but i have always been an Ajax fan”
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