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Barcelona could learn a thing or two from Ajax about finances

Transacted transfer figures do not lie and in the case of Ajax, the figures stand out convincingly in the black, even with just the sale of their younger Ajax alumni stars for the next generation like Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek and Hakim Ziyech.

Altogether bought for only €11m and sold for a princely sum of €246 million. If that’s not incredible business acumen by Ajax, nothing else is.

Here’s the delightful breakdown:

Frenkie de Jong: Bought for €1/Sold for €86M

Matthijs de Ligt: Free/ Sold for €75M

Donny van de Beek: Free/ Sold for €45M

Hakim Ziyech: Bought for €11M/ Sold for €40M.

Frenkie de Jong hits the Barcelona trail

According to 433, a few years ago in 2015, Ajax paid Willem II the princely sum of one euro for a player in their youth team – Frenkie de Jong. The teenager started out with the reserves, Jong Ajax, before making his first team debut in September 2016.

Since then the young midfielder has gone from strength to strength – clinching a transfer deal with Barcelona that was made effective from 30 June The Catalan club will pay Ajax a fixed transfer fee of 75 million euros plus a further 11 million in add-ons, making that a total of 86 million euros. Not a bad deal at all, from any way you look at it.

And 433 add that when they sold De Jong three and a half years ago, Willem II withheld a 10% stake in any future transfer of the player, which means they stand to receive 7.5 million euros (or 6.4 million euros as 433 understand it). In any case, the Dutch side are set to receive a fee in excess of their annual budget. A bit of business which at the time might have seemed crazy by the club who currently sit ninth in the Eredivisie, could turn out to be highly profitable.

Matthijs De Ligt completes €75m Juventus move from Ajax

The 19-year-old Netherlands international has comfortably ensconced himself in the Serie A champions camp after emerging as one of the top defensive prospects in Europe.

Juventus have completed the €75 million signing of centre-back Matthijs from Ajax on a five-year contract with the latter having agreed personal terms that will see the defender earn €12m per season – €8m in basic salary with €4m in bonuses.

And with the deal with the 19-year-old finalised, equaling €85.5m with additional costs, the Bianconeri is finally seeing off competition from a host of Europe’s top clubs, including Barcelona, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

De Ligt has become one of the most highly-coveted defensive prospects in Europe since making his senior debut for Ajax in 2016.

Manchester United agree £40m fee for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek after the two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £40m.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is known to be a huge admirer of the Netherlands international, 23, and has watched on a number of occasions.

It is understood United have now firmed up their interest with a medical and personal terms still to be concluded.

Van de Beek is set to sign a five-year deal, which should allow him to be available for United’s opening game of the 2020-21 season, against Crystal Palace on 19 September.

He will become Solskjaer’s first close-season signing after a much-publicised move for Borussia Dortmund’s England winger Jadon Sancho stalled over the size of the fee.

Van de Beek was part of the outstanding Ajax side that got to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

Ajax star Hakim Ziyech signs five-year at Stamford Bridge ahead of summer move

Hakim Ziyech has signed a five-year contract at Chelsea ahead of his summer move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues announced earlier this month they had agreed a £433m five-year deal for the highly-rated Ajax starlet, subject to him agreeing personal terms.

The Morocco winger, who will officially join the Blues on July 1, has now agreed those terms and told Chelsea’s website: “I am delighted and proud to have signed for such a huge club as Chelsea.

“I am looking forward to next season and hope we can achieve great things together.”

Ziyech, who is Frank Lampard’s first signing as Chelsea boss, has laid on more than 20 goals in each of the last three seasons, and scored 49 times for the Dutch giants.

He is viewed as a replacement for Eden Hazard, who left the club to join Real Madrid in an £89m deal last summer.

On a parallel, Bartomeu and his Barca board could do well to take note of Ajax’s brilliant business strategies and perhaps learn a thing or two about transfer sales and acquisitions that do end up in the black.