Kehrer becomes third German addition this summer

Thilo Kehrer was born in Tübingen, Germany, on September 21, 1996 and joined the Schalke 04 youth academy in 2012. While captaining the club’s U19 side, he faced Ajax U19 in the UEFA Youth League on October 21, 2015. Ajax boasted a highly talented generation at the time, featuring players such as Abdelhak Nouri, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt. The Amsterdam side won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Kasper Dolberg.

Less than a year later, at the age of nineteen, Kehrer made his professional debut for Schalke. He came on as a substitute in a 3-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg on February 6, 2016, a match in which Klaas Jan Huntelaar was also on the scoresheet.

Memorable encounter with Ajax
Kehrer played the full ninety minutes when Schalke faced Ajax in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in April 2017. He missed the return leg in Gelsenkirchen through suspension, as Ajax secured a place in the semi-finals following a dramatic and unforgettable tie.

Via London to Monaco
After his spell in Paris, where he made 128 official appearances, Kehrer moved to West Ham United in 2022. During his first season with the Hammers, he won the UEFA Conference League. His time in east London lasted a season and a half before he joined AS Monaco on loan in January 2024. The move became permanent the following summer.

At Monaco, Kehrer became a team-mate of Caio Henrique, who had already made the move to Ajax earlier this summer. The German defender also developed into the club’s vice-captain.

Die Mannschaft
The defender has earned 28 caps for Germany to date. He made his international debut against Peru on September 9, 2018. So far, Kehrer has appeared at one major tournament: the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He started Germany’s second group-stage match against Spain, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Julian Brandt and Marc-André ter Stegen, who also joined Ajax this summer, were part of the Germany squad at that tournament.

Kehrer has also played twice at the Johan Cruyff ArenA with the German national team. In the UEFA EURO qualifying match against the Netherlands on March 24, 2019, he completed the full ninety minutes. Operating as a right wing-back, he frequently came up against Daley Blind, who was playing at left-back for the Dutch side.

The mother of Ajax's newest signing is of Burundian descent. In part because of those roots, Kehrer established the Thilo Kehrer Foundation in 2022. The organisation focuses on creating opportunities for young people in Burundi. One of its key initiatives is the Thilo Kehrer Centre in Gitega, the country’s capital, where young people can take part in activities including sport and culture.

After spells in Germany, England and France, Thilo Kehrer is now set for a new adventure in Amsterdam. Welcome, Thilo.