Kristoffer Ajer, born on 17 April 1998 in Norway, is a stalwart defender primarily operating in the heart of the backline for Brentford, a fitting position for a man standing 6ft 5in (1.96m) tall and weighing 13st 3lb (84kg). Favouring the number 20 jersey, Ajer also proudly represents his home country, turning out for the Norwegian national team.
According to Transfermarkt, the market currently values the Norseman at around £13m. His contract with The Bees is set to run until 30 June 2028, with a solid 3 years and 9 months left at the time of writing.
The story of Ajer's career starts in 2014, when the youngster joined OBOS-ligaen side Start in his native Norway. He began his professional journey here, tallying 13 appearances and a single goal in his debut season. Shaking off initial nerves, Ajer followed up in 2015 with a strong 28-game season that yielded 8 goals. By 2016, his time with Start was winding down after another 11 appearances, preparing for the big leap in his career.
In July 2016, Ajer caught the eye of Celtic, who brought the promising defender to the Scottish Premiership in a deal worth around £750k. The Norwegian made a decent start in the Hoops, making 24 appearances in the 2017/2018 season. He continued his development admirably, turning out regularly for the side– 28 times in the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 campaigns respectively, even chipping in with 3 goals in the latter season. Ajer matured into a key figure at Parkhead making 35 appearances and netting twice in the 2020/2021 season.
January 2017 saw a short detour in Ajer's Celtic career, as he headed to Premiership rivals Kilmarnock on loan. He made an honest 16 appearances for Killie before returning to the Hoops ahead of the 2017/2018 season.
After returning from loan and spending fruitful seasons with Celtic, Ajer waved goodbye to the green side of Glasgow in July 2021, making a lucrative £14m switch to Brentford. He quickly established himself in the Premier League, making 24 appearances and scoring once in his maiden English top-flight season. Subsequent seasons would see Ajer continue to pull on the Brentford shirt, helping the Bees in their fight for Premier League survival.
The Norwegian defender's array of appearances span beyond league duties, with outings in the FA Cup and international tournaments for Norway. Ajer shouldered the responsibility during Brentford's 2023/2024 FA Cup run, the Euro Qualifiers for Norway spanning 2022 to 2024, and the Nations League in 2024/2025 season for his home country.
