A promising start: how did Ouazzane respond strongly to Real Madrid's rejection?
A Moroccan gem
Morocco's Abdellah Ouazane has announced himself as a standout star at Ajax with a dazzling display in the 2-2 draw against Heerenveen, just months after Real Madrid pulled out of a deal to sign him following his medical.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", the 17-year-old came within touching distance of joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2025 before the move suddenly collapsed over the medical. He returned to Ajax and quickly began turning heads with the first team.
Michel Sanchez's Ajax, with Marc-André ter Stegen in the ranks, drew 2-2 this week against Heerenveen in the second round of the Dutch league at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Standing out above everyone else was Ouazane, the Moroccan who last season came so close to a taste of Spanish football.
Real Madrid won the race for his signature in the summer of 2025 after months of interest from a host of clubs, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain among them. The royal club signed him at 16, viewing him as one of the future talents of world football.
A preliminary agreement was in place, the deal looked done, and the player travelled to Madrid to complete his contract.
Real Madrid made no secret of their admiration for the Moroccan, who months earlier had been crowned best player at the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Their plan was for Ouazane to spend several months with the youth team while earning chances with Real Madrid Castilla. The club also agreed to sign his brother Zakaria for Real Madrid "C".
Then it all fell apart within hours. Real Madrid told the player he had suddenly failed the medical. Given the confidentiality of such examinations, the club only indicated a problem that made completing the deal impossible.
Sources close to the player insist Ouazane produced medical reports from outside the club confirming he was in perfect physical condition to play at a professional level. Even so, he never joined Real Madrid, and within days reports from the Netherlands announced his return to Ajax.
Ajax declared him fit to play after their own examinations and handed him a three-season contract, the maximum the regulations allowed given his age at the time.
Reflecting on what happened in Madrid, the young player told the Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf" during pre-season: "I drew strength from that. Returning to Ajax was the best option for me. I am very happy and I want to prove again why people consider me a talent. I want to become a real man in the world of sport."
He added: "I am very happy. I believe I earned it thanks to my abilities on the pitch. Talk about me and about Ajax returned, and talk about that matter became less. From here I begin working towards moving up to senior football. Everything comes in its own time, that is how I was raised at home."
Last season Ouazane stayed out of the spotlight, featuring with the reserves and the youth team in the UEFA Youth League.
He racked up 29 matches in all, scoring six goals and providing nine assists.
Sanchez handed him a chance with the first team over pre-season, and Ouazane grabbed it, proving exactly what he could do.
An assist off the bench in the UEFA Conference League qualifying round against Serbia's Vojvodina got him going, before his league form pushed him back into the spotlight.
Against Heerenveen he carried on the brilliance, thumping in Ajax's second goal on Sunday from the edge of the penalty area. It was a reminder of exactly why the big clubs came calling.
