Dutch-Nigerian winger Ayodele Thomas has joined NEC Nijmegen from Leipzig in a €1m transfer, moving to the Eredivisie club at the age of 19.
Thomas has signed a contract with NEC running until 30 June 2030. The left winger, who prefers his right foot, will wear the number 77 shirt at his new club.
Born in Almere, Netherlands, Thomas represents both Dutch and Nigerian footballing heritage. He stands 1.77m tall and has played primarily on the left side of attack during his career.
The move brings Thomas back to the Netherlands after a short spell with Leipzig. He joined the German club from PSV Under-21s on 2 February 2026 in a deal worth €400,000.
Thomas had previously progressed through PSV’s youth structure, joining the Under-21 side after moving up from PSV Under-18. His route to Eindhoven began at Feyenoord, where he joined the Under-17 team from Feyenoord’s youth set-up in January 2023.
Before that, Thomas spent time with Almere City’s youth system. He moved to Feyenoord in July 2020 on a free transfer, beginning a series of academy switches that took him through three Dutch clubs before his move to Leipzig.
His transfer to NEC was completed on 1 September 2026, with the club securing the services of a teenage wide player who has spent his football education in the Netherlands and Germany.
Thomas joins NEC after Leipzig’s opening fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign, in which he had not made an appearance in either the Bundesliga or the DFB-Pokal. He now continues his career in the Eredivisie under a contract lasting until 2030.