Ajax announced on Friday that it would receive no less than nine million euros from Torino FC for Perr Schuurs, a center defender who is usually a reserve. The amount can even reach 11.3 million via bonuses. Ajax has been adept at selling substitutes for millions in recent years. Since 2016, the national champion has raised more than 200 million from players who were not undisputed basic players. In comparison: Feyenoord received about 70 million euros less for all outgoing transfers in that period.
In addition to Schuurs, Ajax also sold Nicolás Tagliafico for 4.2 million this summer, and David Neres for 12 million six months earlier. The latter two played many matches for Ajax and had therefore built up quite a reputation before they ended up on the second plan.
Top sale Dolberg
But that does not apply to Razvan Marin and Lassina Traoré, who still yielded 10 million euros. By the way, a loss of 2.5 million euros was suffered on Marin, but his reputation got a huge blow at Ajax. Also striking is, for example, the high amount that was touched for reserve striker Kasper Dolberg: 20.5 million. Dolberg was bought by Ajax for less than three hundred thousand.
Various factors are of influence: the contract (duration and height) of the player, his age, his status, the reputation of Ajax as a training club and the recent performance of Ajax in Europe. Since 2017, when Ajax reached the Europa League final, the reputation of the Amsterdam club has increased again. Reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019 added a huge boost to that.
Ajax has also started buying for hefty amounts under the now departed director Marc Overmars, so players already have a certain value, insiders outline. They also praise Overmars as a strong negotiator.
Good name scouting
Ajax’s scouting has acquired a good name in recent years thanks to direct hits such as Davinson Sánchez, Lisandro Martínez, Hakim Ziyech, Antony, Arek Milik, Jasper Cillessen and Edson Alvarez. On the other hand, there are several purchases that did not succeed in Amsterdam. Since Ajax wants to have at least 22 players who can perform at Champions League level, this has partly been taken into account.
Schuurs, who was taken over from Fortuna Sittard in 2018 for 2 million, was outflanked at Ajax by Jurriën Timber, but was still able to show himself in 95 matches, 11 of which were in the Champions League. He may have also benefited from the advance of another former Ajax centre-back, Sven Botman. The self-trained Botman was never seriously in the picture at the first, but became champion of France at Lille, who bought him for 8 million and sold on to Newcastle United for 37 million last summer.
On the other hand, former Ajax players have not been able to grow into a resounding success at European top clubs in recent years. Ziyech and Donny van de Beek are not basic players at Chelsea and Manchester United. Matthijs de Ligt was sold by Juventus after two years with a small loss to Bayern Munich and is now waiting for his chance, just like Ryan Gravenberch and Mazraoui. Barcelona wants to get rid of Frenkie de Jong and Sergiño Dest, although that is mainly to raise a lot of money.
Still, the high transfer fees continue to flow in. Even now that ‘master negotiator’ Overmars has been gone for a while.