Ajax Sign Chelsea Keeper Femke Liefting on Loan
Ajax have moved to strengthen their last line of defence by bringing Femke Liefting back to the Azerion Vrouwen Eredivisie on a season-long loan from Chelsea for the 2026/27 campaign.
The deal, confirmed on the club’s website on Friday morning, sends the 21-year-old Dutch goalkeeper back to familiar territory after an interrupted 18-month spell in England. For Liefting, it is less a sideways move than a reset.
She knows this league. She grew up in it. Liefting broke into senior football at VV Alkmaar before switching to neighbours AZ in 2023, quickly establishing herself as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the country. Her sharp reflexes and composure under pressure did not go unnoticed. Chelsea, then and now the benchmark in the Barclays Women’s Super League, moved in and signed her in January 2025.
England, though, has not been straightforward. A foot problem, then a hip issue, stalled her progress at precisely the moment she needed rhythm and repetition. She did claw back some momentum with a loan spell at Newcastle United last season, picking up valuable minutes and a taste of the English game’s intensity, but consistent starts remained elusive.
Ajax are betting that regular football will unlock the version of Liefting that once looked destined to rise rapidly through the Dutch ranks. The club need depth and quality in goal; she needs a platform and a clear run of games. The fit is obvious.
Manager's Remarks
Technical manager Dolf Roks underlined exactly that as the deal was announced. “Femke is a talented goalkeeper who has already proven her quality in the Vrouwen Eredivisie. She also gained valuable experience at the highest level during her time at Chelsea, where she continued to develop. We are delighted that she will add experience and quality to our squad for the coming season," he said.
For Ajax, it is a low-risk, high-upside move. For Chelsea, it is a calculated investment in development. Liefting remains under contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2028, and a strong year in Amsterdam could send her back to London as a very different proposition.
For the player herself, it is simpler than that. It is about playing, week after week, in a league she knows, in a country that knows her. The next 12 months will show whether this homecoming becomes the launchpad her career has been waiting for.
