Jerolldino Bergraaf leaves Excelsior on loan to Jong AZ after a

Jerolldino Bergraaf, a promising 20-year-old striker, is gaining new momentum in his career by signing with Jong AZ, the reserve team of AZ Alkmaar, on loan from Excelsior. This arrival marks an important step for the young player, who wishes to seize his chance to obtain a permanent transfer to the North Dutch club.

Trained at Excelsior, Bergraaf is coming off an enriching season for his first experience in the Dutch elite. During the past financial year, he was fielded 24 times in the Eredivisie, starting ten times, but was also often substituted during matches. If he has not yet managed to establish himself as an indisputable starter and string together full matches, he has still been able to compete with the high pace of the Dutch first division and high-level competition.

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AZ Alkmaar has been closely following its development for several seasons, as Dennis Haar, the club's recruitment manager, told the official website. Recruiters had already spotted his potential at Excelsior, while he was playing in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie (Dutch second division), before his promotion to the Eredivisie this year. Although he was hampered by some physical problems, Bergraaf showed interesting qualities that AZ now want to exploit.

The context of this loan therefore appears advantageous for all parties: for Bergraaf, it is the opportunity to obtain playing time in a team engaged in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, and for AZ, it is a new bet on young people with high potential. It should also be noted that AZ's current technical director, Niels van Duinen, knows the player well, having worked with him during his time at Excelsior, which surely facilitated negotiations.

The integration of promising young talents is not a first for Jong AZ, who had already recently recruited Rodrigo Macedo (ex-Sporting Braga) and Sem van Duijn (Quick Boys) in the same vein. For this season, Jong AZ aims to progress after a previous edition concluded in seventeenth place. The new Keuken Kampioen Divisie season kicks off on August 10 with a match against FC Eindhoven, a key meeting for the new recruit and his team.