Jorthy Mokio: The Ajax wonderkid who rejected Barcelona to follow in footsteps of Matthijs de Ligt & Jorrel Hato
The Belgian ace only turned 17 in February, but is already making a name for himself at senior level with the four-time European champions
The Ajax academy, or 'De Toekomst' ('The Future') as it's commonly known in the Netherlands, has a proud history of producing some of the best players on the planet dating all the way back to its creation in 1900. From legends such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Ruud Krol, Frank Rijkaard and Dennis Bergkamp to modern-day stars like Christian Eriksen, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax have consistently seen their faith in homegrown talent rewarded en route to becoming the most successful club in Dutch football.
Those traditions are as strong today as ever, with Jorrel Hato the latest to be attracting attention from Europe's other elite clubs. Like De Ligt before him, Hato has defied his tender age to become a fixture in the Ajax defence, and it has been reported that Chelsea and Liverpool are both interested in bringing him to the Premier League after previous links to Arsenal.
Fortunately, Ajax are also adept at identifying generational talents from abroad, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jari Litmanen, Luis Suarez and Dusan Tadic just a few of those who have joined the club's Hall of Fame down the years. As such, they already have a suitable replacement lined up if Hato does depart, in the form of 17-year-old Jorthy Mokio. In his first full season at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, records have tumbled around Mokio as he's quickly outgrown the reserves to force his way into the Ajax starting XI earn a spot in the Belgium national team.
It's clear that Ajax have unearthed another gem with the potential to emulate the icons of the past. The question is: how has Mokio risen to the top level so quickly? GOAL takes a look below…
AFPWhere it all began
Mokio was born in the city of Ghent in northwest Belgium to Congolese parents, the middle child in the family alongside three sisters and two brothers. His mother noticed that he had a natural inclination for football from an extremely young age, as Mokio revealed in an interview with in February: "According to her, I could barely walk when I was already kicking everything."
Later transitioning from household items to a ball, Mokio got used to playing football on asphalt instead of grass, learning invaluable technical skills while also developing a hard edge. "Street football teaches you a lot. You practice your technique, dish out and take," he added. "Sometimes you shout at your friend or opponent or get into a fight. In any case, you always give 100 percent. That is the basis. I was playing against older boys early on."
Mokio also said he "imagined myself as Yaya Toure" after settling on No.10 as his favourite position, which is where he would go on to play for amateur side KFC Merelbeke. However, when he was 12, Mokio was offered an internship at Gent, who saw him as more of a defender than an attacker and worked towards developing that side of his game.
It proved to be a shrewd call as Mokio made history for the club in October 2023. He became the youngest Gent player to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League when making his debut against Basel, and the following March, he made his senior bow at 16 years and 29 days old in a 5-1 Belgian Pro League win over Standard Liege, the first of four first-team appearances he would make towards the end of the campaign.
AdvertisementThe big break
By the summer of 2024, Mokio had already represented Belgium at Under-15, U16 and U17 levels, and top clubs across the continent were taking notice. Gent tried to renew Mokio's contract, but eventually resigned themselves to losing the youngster after approaches from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSV and Ajax.
All four clubs reportedly tabled bids for Mokio, and according to , Barcelona even sent their sporting director, Deco, to meet with his family and agent face to face. But in the end, Mokio decided to reject Barca in favour of a move to Ajax after being advised by his father.
“They told us that they were going to do as with Lamine Yamal or Pau Cubarsí," Thierry Mokio said in a subsequent sit-down with . “The pressure in Barca is from another dimension. If it doesn’t work, you end up in Osasuna, for example, and you’re lost. It seemed too big a step to me.”
On June 24, 2024, Mokio joined Ajax on a free transfer, committing to a three-year contract. It was a huge coup for the Dutch side to see off competition from Barca, and Mokio didn't have to wait long to make his first appearance for Francesco Farioli's senior squad.
Mokio came off the bench against Jagiellonia Białystok in a UEFA Europa League play-off clash at the end of August, becoming the youngest foreign player to ever line up for Ajax in the process. "At first, I was a little nervous, but it actually went quite well," Mokio said in a humble admission after the final whistle.
He had to keep a handle on his nerves again the following month, as he was called up for Belgium U21 duty for the first time. Mokio surprised himself again with an impressive performance in a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan and even marked the occasion with a goal, making him the second-youngest scorer for Belgium in U21 European Championship qualifying behind a certain Romelu Lukaku.
AFPHow it's going
Mokio would, however, only feature once more for the Ajax first team in 2024 as the decision was taken for him to build up experience in the reserves. It was a move that he embraced maturely, with the Belgian ace shining for Jong Ajax across 17 second-division appearances, chipping in with two goals while adding an another string to his bow by providing cover in defensive midfield.
When the new year rolled around, Mokio was ready to force his way back into Farioli's plans. The Ajax boss gave Mokio his Eredivisie debut as a starter away at Fortuna Sittard at the age of 16 years and 346, just three days older than Clarence Seedorf was when he became the club's youngest player in the competition way back in 1992.
Four days later, Mokio claimed another record outright, only this time it extended across the entire continent. With one perfectly judged swing of his right boot, Mokio scored a sensational volley from the edge of the box to wrap up a 2-0 win for Ajax in the first leg of their Europa League knockout stage play-off tie against Union Saint-Gilloise. It was a remarkable strike, and it made Mokio the youngest player to ever score in a Europa League knockout game. But his all-round performance was even more extraordinary, as Dutch journalist Mike Verweij observed in : "Mokio played along as if he had been in the Ajax first team for years and at one point was almost directing things in a Cruyffian way."
There is no higher praise than that for any Ajax player. Mokio certainly drew confidence from the widespread acclaim he drew that night, featuring in a further 12 games in all competitions before the end of the season as Ajax came agonisingly close to winning back the Eredivisie having reached the Europa League last 16.
Mokio was also included in Rudi Garcia's first Belgium squad in March, and got his first taste of senior international football when coming on for the final two minutes of a 2-1 Nations League play-off defeat to Ukraine. Garcia drafted Mokio back in for Belgium's first set of 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June to complete what has been an extraordinary year for the former Gent prospect.
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Biggest strengths
Mokio is a versatile player who can operate as both a full-back and a midfielder, but is naturally a left-sided centre-half best suited to a three-man defensive line. Standing at six foot tall, the teenager is more than able to hold his own physically at the top level, and he is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, always looking to break through the lines even when under intense pressure.
It doesn't matter where he is on the pitch, Mokio can put the ball on a sixpence and will bust a gut to contribute in the final third when the opportunity arises. The best example of that came in Ajax's 3-1 Eredivisie win against NAC on April 6, as Mokio pinged a perfect 40-yard cross-field pass to a team-mate from his own half, then proceeded to sprint all the way to the box to turn a low cross from Kenneth Taylor into the net.
There is scope for Mokio to evolve into a midfielder with those abilities, but it is in defence where he has the most potential. The 17-year-old is dominant in the air, rarely loses any duels and already reads the game very well, while his pace on the turn gives Ajax the option to play with a higher line. When you factor all of that in, it's not surprising that Barcelona were so eager to integrate him into Hansi Flick's system!