Soccer related revenue of AFC Ajax in Netherlands 2016-2021, by source of income
The cash cows of Ajax
AFC Ajax, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional soccer club from Amsterdam which plays in the Eredivisie (the highest professional league in the Netherlands). Historically, Ajax is the most successful Dutch soccer team, with 33 league titles, 18 domestic cups as well as international successes in the Champions League and Europa League. Besides the revenues from tournaments, sponsorships and ticket sales, the transfer revenue of players is an important source of income as well. In season 2016/17, Ajax received approximately 80 million euros from outgoing transfers, mainly because of the transfers of Arkadiusz Milik to Napoli and Jasper Cillessen to FC Barcelona. In 2017/18, the transfer revenue decreased to 39.4 million euros. However, observing Ajax’s player market values, the completed transfer of Frenkie de Jong for 75 million euros to Barcelona and their international campaign in 2018/2019, it is highly likely that the total incoming transfer fees for season 2018/19 will be higher than the past two seasons combined.
Don’t worry, about a thing
The song by Bob Marley, ‘’Three Little Birds’’, includes a sentence that is not only sung by Ajax’s supporters during half-time of every match, it also reflects Ajax’s current market value in the Dutch league. Ajax saw its market value (based on player market values) amount to roughly 355 million euros in September 2019, significantly more than their most important rivals PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord Rotterdam. Therefore, no worries in terms of financial performances for Ajax Amsterdam.