Sevilla and Ajax confirmed on Monday evening that an agreement had been reached that would see Dutch international, Quincy Promes return to the city of his birth.
Promes was born and bred in the Dutch capital. Like so many talented young players he was enrolled in the famous Ajax Academy but failed to make the grade and was released as a 16-year-old. After flirting with the thought of giving the game up he moved to Haarlem and then Twente.
Transferred to Russia
Promes made his debut for Twente at the end of the 2011/12 campaign and then went out on loan to Go Ahead Eagles for the next season where he really made his senior breakthrough.
He returned to Twente for the 2013/14 season and performed so well that he drew the attention of Spartak Moscow who ended up signing him for just over £10 million.
Promes proved to be a revelation in Russia and in just over four years with Spartak he scored 66 goals and assisted on another 34. Having played 135 times for Spartak he was close to a goal every other game and an assist in every four games.
As well as those personal statistics, he also helped the club win the Russian Premier League and Super Cup in 2017. To add to his personal accolades, he was named Footballer of the Year too.
Catching the eye in the Champions League
One of the most memorable performances of Promes' time in Russia came when Spartak defeated Sevilla 5-1 in the Champions League.
The Dutchman scored twice and set two up on the night and Sevilla were so impressed that 10 months later they splashed out £18 million for the player.
Promes didn't enjoy the best of seasons in Spain and now moves to Ajax for a fee believed to be in the region of £14 million. He joins a side that won the domestic double and shocked the world by beating Real Madrid and Juventus on their way to the Champions League semi-finals.
In terms of style, Promes looks like a perfect fit for Ajax. He has speed and technique which will be perfect for the clubs style under Erik ten Hag who himself has just signed a contract extension until 2022.
Promes joins Luis Muriel who has also left the club this summer as Sevilla begin their latest rebuild now that Monchi has returned to his role as Sporting Director.
Sevilla returns to the Europa League next season after two seasons in the Champions League. Should Monchi spend this money wisely, as he so often does, they will no doubt be in the running for a sixth win in the competition since 2006.