Jorthy Mokio: Ajax beat out Barca and Bayern Munich to sign Gent wonderkid

Talents Calendar

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The time of the Golden Generation in Belgium around Eden Hazard (33), Kevin de Bruyne (33), and Romelu Lukaku (31) is coming to an end, but the next group of top talents is ready to go. One of them is Jorthy Mokio (16), who broke through at KAA Gent and is currently playing for the reserve team of Ajax. Despite significant competition for his signature, the Dutch giants managed to sign the center-back.

When Mokio was 15, he was already part of Gent’s first team and was considered one of the biggest talents in the history of the club. In Belgium, players are allowed to play as young as 15 in the Jupiler Pro League, but Mokio didn’t have a professional contract, so he had to wait until after his 16th birthday to make his debut. When he debuted in a 5-1 win over Standard Liege in March 2023, he became the youngest Gent debutant since 1954. Only three more appearances would follow because the Belgian club couldn’t renew his deal despite a lucrative contract offer.

Top clubs from all over Europe were interested in the talented center-back. Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern, and PSV Eindhoven were the frontrunners to sign Mokio. At Barça, Deco himself was involved in the talks, and pictures showed the talent visiting the club. Ajax would end up winning the race even though they made the lowest of the four bids. Bayern tried to hijack the deal, but even a personal phone call with Vincent Kompany couldn’t change Mokio’s mind.

At Ajax, Mokio is part of the second team’s plans for this season but has also made two appearances for the first team. In the Europa League, he became the second youngest debutant since 1956 and the youngest foreign player in history. He is a regular starter for Jong Ajax in the backline.

Mokio has represented Belgium at various youth levels and has played for the U21 since September 2024. Only Lukaku and Youri Tielemans were younger at that level. When he scored on his debut, he became the second youngest scorer after Lukaku. This spring, he is set to return to the U19 national team to help them qualify for the European Championships.

Bart Tamsyn, Area Manager Belgium at Transfermarkt, describes Mokio as a flexible defender. “Mokio is a natural left-footed center-back but can also play as left-back in a back four,” Tamsyn said. “At Jong Ajax, he mostly plays as a defensive midfielder. But the best fit is as a left defender in a back three.” With a market value of €1.5m, Mokio is the fifth most valuable player born in 2008.

In Gent, the club knew early on that Mokio would have a great future. “Jorthy is an incredible talent,” Gent’s technical director Arnar Vidarsson said in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad after Mokio’s debut. “He is a phenomenal footballer, and it wouldn’t be wrong to describe him as a fantastic talent. But talent on its own won’t be enough. Jorthy has shown he can absorb hard training sessions as he has trained with the first team for three months. You can tell that he is very adaptable.”

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.