By Samindra Kunti
January 26 – Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam are restricting their spending during the transfer window to minimise the risks of a financial pitfall, despite the club’s finances being in a good position.
When Ajax’s head coach Frank de Boer was asked about incoming players, in particular a striker the club was rumoured to be signing in this this winter transfer window, he intimated that the ‘board of commissioners’ may have too much influence over the club’s transfer policies. De Boer shares joint-responsibility with player director Marc Overmars over payer acquisition at Ajax.
The Amsterdam club have struggled to develop a clear-cut transfer policy, unable to tread the fine line between acquiring added-value players and relying on home-grown players. This summer an investment of €8 million for Jeremain Lens was deemed too high. Injury-prone Yaya Sanogo, on loan from Arsenal, and John Heitinga, a veteran, have both failed to live up to their high-profile arrivals in the Dutch capital.
On the selling side Ajax have reaped the rewards of moving players from their multiple championship-winning teams. Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen, Siem de Jong, Vurnon Anita, Toby Alderweireld and Gregory van der Wiel have all been sold for sizable transfer fees. They also sold Daley Blind for €18 million to Manchester United and have ever since tried to not overspend on incoming player.
Ajax’s management are wary of pushing the club finances to the limit, with the 2009/10 season serves as a reminder that Ajax is benefitting from holding the purse strings tight. Ajax hemorrhaged €22.8 million that season and built up debt of close to to €55 million.
“The biggest mistake you can make, is to approach a football club as if it’s a company,” said board commissioner Hans Wijers in 2013.
In the last five years Ajax have been dominating Dutch domestic football with four league titles. They enjoyed a windfall from their success with profits of €22 million during the 2014/15 season, resulting in an equity of €110 million. At present Ajax have €80 million in liquid assets, according to Dutch football magazine Voetbal International.
Ajax’s restrictive spending will continue in the second half of the season. “Ajax faces the challenge in the financial year 2015/16 of realiing a positive operational result,” reads the last annual club report. “The transfer result in 2015/16, by selling, among others, Ricardo Kishna and Kolbeinn Sigthórsson justify no expectation of a positive net result.”
Ajax currently top the Eredivise after 19 match days on 47 points, three more than rivals PSV Eindhoven.
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