Brighton Women have confirmed Nadine Noordam has completed a permanent return to Ajax, subject to the usual regulatory processes.
Noordam joined Albion from Ajax in January 2025 and leaves after 39 appearances. Her defining contribution came in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final, when she struck the late winner against Liverpool to send Brighton to the first final in their history.
Ajax confirmed Noordam’s return on July 1, with the Dutch midfielder signing a contract in Amsterdam until June 30, 2029. Albion’s announcement credited Noordam with five WSL assists last season, underlining that she was more than a peripheral squad option.
Noordam Exit Sharpens Vidosic Midfield Rebuild
Dario Vidosic framed the move around legacy as well as loss, saying Noordam had made “her own piece of Brighton history” with that Liverpool goal.
For Brighton, the football question is immediate. Noordam gave Vidosic ball-carrying energy, penalty-box timing and European experience in a midfield group already being reshaped this summer.
Her Wembley role will be remembered most, but the league numbers also matter. The WSL’s official player profile records Noordam playing in all 22 league games in 2025/26, with nine starts, 13 substitute appearances and five assists.
That reliability is not cosmetic. Brighton have already moved aggressively in the market, but replacing a player trusted across 39 appearances is still a proper squad-building task.
The Guardian’s FA Cup semi-final report captured the scale of Noordam’s Brighton moment, with her 95th-minute winner completing a 3-2 comeback against Liverpool.
Noordam returns to a familiar Ajax environment. Brighton, meanwhile, must make sure the next midfield addition carries enough authority to keep last season’s cup-final progress from feeling like a one-off surge.
