| Anton Gaaei | |
| Birth Date: | 19 November 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Viborg, Denmark |
| Height: | 1.83 m |
| Position: | Right-back |
| Currentclub: | Ajax |
| Clubnumber: | 3 |
| Youthclubs1: | Bruunshåb/Tapdrup IF |
| Youthclubs2: | Overlund GF |
| Youthclubs3: | Viborg |
| Years1: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs1: | Viborg |
| Caps1: | 38 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2023– |
| Clubs2: | Ajax |
| Caps2: | 26 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 2023– |
| Clubs3: | Jong Ajax |
| Caps3: | 9 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2022 |
| Nationalteam1: | Denmark U20 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam2: | Denmark U21 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 18:20, 11 August 2024 (UTC) |
| Ntupdate: | 17:50, 30 December 2023 (UTC) |
Anton Gaaei (born 19 November 2002) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for club Ajax.
Anton Gaaei started his career in Bruunshåb/Tapdrup IF and then passed by Overlund GF, before he moved to Viborg.[1] From the summer 2020, Gaaei began training regular with the first team. On 2 September 2020, Gaaei got his official debut for Viborg, as he came on from the bench in the 76th minute against FC Fredericia in the Danish Cup.[2] Three months later, in December 2020, Gaaei signed a new deal with Viborg until June 2023.[3]
In his youth, Gaaei was primarily a winger, but was later converted to right-back. On 1 April 2022, Gaaei got his league debut for Viborg and Danish Superliga debut in a game an against SønderjyskE.[4] Gaaei ended the 2021–22 season with six appearances.
On 17 August 2023, Gaaei officially joined Eredivisie side Ajax for a reported fee of DKr35 million[5] (about €4.5 million),[6] signing a five-year contract with the Dutch club.[7] In the process, he broke the transfer record as Viborg's highest-grossing sale.[8]
Gaaei made his competitive debut for the club on 3 September, replacing Devyne Rensch in the 62nd minute of a 0–0 away league draw against Fortuna Sittard.[9] [10] He faced criticism for his early performances, with analysts highlighting his deficient defensive skills and frequent loss of possession.[11] In De Klassieker on 24 September, Gaaei started in the lineup, and went on to make two pivotal mistakes resulting in goals by Santiago Giménez. Consequently, he was substituted for Rensch in the 32nd minute, before the match was temporarily halted due to disruptions from the crowd. Gaaei's performance received scathing reviews, being labeled as "poor" and "naive", and analyst and former coach Mario Been stated that Gaaei did not meet the standards expected to play for Ajax.[12] [13] On 25 February 2024, in a match against AZ, Gaaei again was substituted in the first half after a weak performance.[14]
Anton Gaaei is the son of former Viborg FF player, Carsten Gaaei, who later also coached at several clubs.[15] [16]
| Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Viborg | 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 28 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | Danish Superliga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |||
| Ajax | 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |||
| Jong Ajax | 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 73 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 91 | 2 | |||