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.