Ajax have sold some of their best talents at a huge premium and have become a genuine money-making machine
Ajax have been one of the most profitable clubs in world football when it comes to their business model.
The Dutch giants have continued to fight for silverware despite letting go of their biggest stars in almost every summer transfer window for impressive figures.
Having probably one of the best football academies in world football, Ajax have ensured that they earn huge money through player sales as they have a seemingly never-ending supply of wonderkids coming through, especially in the last decade.
And as if that wasn't enough, they have also mastered the art of buying external talent on the cheap, only to sell them on at significant profits.
Several players like Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek and many more came to Ajax as budding footballers, but left the club as superstars.
And Ajax ensured they earned a huge premium on their investment by selling them to prospective buyers.
Just recently, they sold Antony to Manchester United for €95m (£85.5m), thus taking their overall sales to almost €600m (£525m) just since the 2019-20 season.
Ajax most expensive sales by season
Season
Biggest sale
Fee
Total sales
2022/23
Antony
€95M/£85.50M
€216.22M/£194.60M
2021/22
David Neres
€12M/£10.80M
€46M/£41.40M
2020/21
Hakim Ziyech
€40M/£36M
€109.50M/£98.55M
2019/20
Frenkie de Jong
€86M/£77.40M
€218.20M/£196.38M
2018/19
Justin Kluivert
€17.25M/£15.53M
€17.55M/£15.80M
2017/18
Davinson Sanchez
€42M/£37.80M
€83.20M/£74.88M
2016/17
Arkadiusz Milik
€32M/£28.80M
€80.50M/£72.45M
2015/16
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson
€3M/£2.70M
€6M/£5.40M
2014/15
Daley Blind
€17.50M/£15.75M
€30.05M/£27.05M
2013/14
Christian Eriksen
€14.15M/£12.74M
€24.55M/£22.10M
2012/13
Jan Vertonghen
€12.50M/£11.25M
€32.75M/£29.48M
2011/12
Maarten Stekelenburg
€7.33M/£6.59M
€13.63M/£12.26M
2010/11
Luis Suarez
€26.50M/£23.85M
€29.20M/£26.28M
2009/10
Thomas Vermaelen
€12M/£10.80M
€13.14M/£11.83M
2008/09
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
€27M/£24.30M
€37.85M/£34.07M
2007/08
Wesley Sneijder
€27M/£24.30M
€52.25M/£47.03M
2006/07
Markus Rosenberg
€3M/£2.70M
€7.63M/£6.86M
2005/06
Rafael van der Vaart
€5.10M/£4.59M
€14.50M/£13.05M
2004/05
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
€16M/£14.40M
€20.28M/£18.25M
2003/04
Christian Chivu
€18M/£16.20M
€30.60M/£27.54M
2002/03
Nikolaos Machlas
€400,000/£360,000
€400,000/£360,000
2001/02
Shota Arveladze
€4.50M/£4.05M
€4.50M/£4.05M
2000/01
Jesper Gronkjaer
€11.85M/£10.67M
€18.95M/£17.06M
TOTAL
~€1.11b/£1b
*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise.
Ajax top 10 most expensive player salesDavid Ramos10Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | €27 million/£24.30 million | Real Madrid | 2008
Dutch superstar Klaas-Jan Huntelaar left Ajax in the summer of 2008 for €27 million (£24.30 million) as Real Madrid came calling.
Huntelaar came to prominence at Ajax in 2006 after incredible performances for Heerenveen, scoring 33 goals in 46 appearances over two seasons.
At the Dutch cub, Huntelaar netted 105 goals in 136 matches before he made a dream move to Los Blancos in January 2009.
Huntelaar could survive just half a season in Madrid before being transferred to Milan the following summer.
AdvertisementBVB9Sebastien Haller | €31 million/£27.90 million | Borussia Dortmund | 2022
Ivory Coast forward Sebastien Haller was sold to Borussia Dortmund in 2022, just one season after his arrival at Ajax from West Ham United.
Haller had signed a four-year contract with Ajax in 2021 and was one of the best strikers in Europe during the 2021-22 season.
However, his performances for Ajax caught the eye of Dortmund, who swooped in for him for €31 million (£27.90 million).
But, tragedy struck after Haller was diagnosed with a malignant testicular tumour and he continues his road to recovery.
Marco Rosi8Arkadiusz Milik | €32 million/£28.80 million | Napoli | 2016
Milik burst on to the scene at Ajax in the 2015-16 season after his loan move from Bayer Leverkusen was made permanent by Ajax.
The Poland international striker scored 47 goals and provided 21 assists in 76 games during his time in Amsterdam, which means almost one goal contribution per game.
His performances caught the eye of Italian giants Napoli, who paid Ajax upwards of €32 million (£28.80 million) for his services in the summer of 2016.
Milik scored 38 goals in 93 appearances during his time in Naples before being loaned out to Marseille in January 2021 on an 18-month deal with an obligation to buy.
In the summer of 2022, Marseille sent Milik on loan to Juventus for the 2022-23 season.
Getty7Donny van de Beek | €39 million/£35.10 million | Manchester United | 2020
Manchester United came calling and Ajax answered their call for Donny van de Beek in the summer of 2020.
The Dutchman almost signed for Real Madrid before the Red Devils swooped in for him, shelling out €39 million (£35.10 million).
Then manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn't fancy Van de Beek in his midfield, though, and he was loaned to Everton in January 2022.
After a largely underwhelming loan spell at Merseyside, he returned back to United under Erik ten Hag and is still trying to find his feet at the club.