Ajax technical director Gerry Hamstra confirmed that Juventus loanee Mohamed Ihattaren has taken a step away from football again.
The 20-year-old Dutch forward was signed by the Bianconeri in August 2021 from PSV and immediately loaned out to Sampdoria. Ihattaren struggled to adapt to the move, with the passing of his father in 2019 still heavily affecting him, and withdrew from the squad.
Juventus sent Ihattaren to Ajax on an 12-month loan spell back in January, hoping a return to the Netherlands would help him get his feet on the ground again. He made five appearances for the Ajax second team last season.
Hamstra confirmed Ihattaren’s absence ahead of Ajax’s friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk, underlining his and the club’s concern.
“Let me be clear that we are all worried about Mo. Of course we’re a football club, but some things go beyond football.
“As a club we are very committed to Mo and are in direct contact with him. We hope things will return to normal soon. We hope he will be back soon.”
Juventus are likely keeping a concerned eye on the situation as well, with Ihattaren possibly returning to Turin at the end of this year as the permanence clause is optional.
Regardless of team I hope the kid is alright in the end. Even if he has to step away from football, some things are more important. It’s reminiscent of Bojan and his mental health issues, although we didn’t know about that until after.