Liverpool goalkeeper leaves club as 23-year-old seals Reds reunion with loan transfer

Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros has penned a new contract at Anfield and will spend the 2025-26 season on loan at Dutch giants Ajax, the club have confirmed.

Twenty-three-year-old Jaros - who has been on the books at Anfield since 2017 - made his first-team debut for Arne Slot's side in last season's 1-0 away win at Crystal Palace following an early injury to Alisson Becker.

A few weeks later, Jaros made his maiden start in a Liverpool kit against Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup, helping his side seal a 3-2 victory at the Amex Stadium.

However, the Czechia international spent the majority of the campaign playing third fiddle to Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher, the latter of whom has now joined Brentford on a permanent deal.

Kelleher will be directly replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili, though, while Liverpool have also captured Hungarian youngster Armin Pecsi in a record-breaking deal to bolster their goalkeeping department further.

Jaros seals fifth loan move away from Liverpool

With limited prospects of game time on Merseyside next season, Jaros will spend the 2025-26 campaign with Ajax, although he has also penned an extension to his contract which was due to expire next summer.

"Ajax like to do things the Ajax way. That suits me. At Liverpool, we tried to play in a similar way last season. I'm comfortable playing with the ball at my feet," Jaros said in his first Ajax interview.

Meanwhile, technical director Alex Kroes added: "We're very pleased to have brought Vitezslav to Amsterdam. Despite his young age, he has already gained valuable experience and played a full part as a back-up goalkeeper with the English champions.

"His ability to play out from the back is of a very high level, he is athletic, reads space well, and provides calmness to the defence. His arrival definitely gives our squad a boost in quality."

Jaros's temporary switch to Amsterdam represents his fifth loan move away from Liverpool, who previously sanctioned transfers to St Patrick's Athletic, Notts County, Stockport County and Sturm Graz for the Czechia man.

Jaros to link up with ex-Liverpool coach at Ajax

A fabulous opportunity for Jaros to gain top-flight and Champions League experience is made all the better thanks to Ajax's recent appointment of Slot's former right-hand man, Johnny Heitinga.

The ex-Netherlands defender left Anfield to take on the role of Ajax head coach earlier this summer, succeeding Francesco Farioli on a two-year contract.

In his place, Liverpool are understood to be close to appointing another Dutchman and former World Cup finalist, who will link up with Sipke Hulshoff as Slot's newest lieutenant.

Written by
Ben Knapton