The 10 most expensive Eredivisie transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 4 Oct 2024 21:58 BST
• 5 min read

Eredivisie clubs don’t have the financial resources of some of Europe’s top teams, but they still aren’t afraid of spending big money on new signings when possible.

Ajax remain the richest club in the division, largely due to their immense selling ability, although PSV Eindhoven have also spent big on several players over the last few decades.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Eredivisie transfers of all time.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive Premier League transfers of all time

10. Antony - €15.8m (Sao Paulo to Ajax, 2020)

Antony was a superb signing for Ajax and he only cost the Dutch giants a relatively measly transfer fee of €15.8m.

The Brazilian established himself as a top winger in the Eredivisie, making 82 appearances for Ajax, and following Erik ten Hag’s move to Manchester United, he joined the Old Trafford outfit for a whopping €95m.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive La Liga transfers of all time

9. Daley Blind - €16m (Man Utd to Ajax, 2018)

Daley Blind joined Man Utd after the 2014 World Cup, but he returned to Ajax in 2018 after a four-year spell with the Red Devils.

Blind won four trophies during his time at Old Trafford and he spent four-and-a-half years at Ajax during his second stint at the club before moving to Bayern Munich.

8. Georges Mikautadze - €16m (Metz to Ajax, 2023)

Georges Mikautadze joined Ajax after scoring 23 goals in 37 matches for Metz as they secured promotion back to Ligue 1 in 2023.

However, his time in Amsterdam went disastrously and he re-joined Metz on loan just six months after his move to Ajax. The deal became permanent that summer, but Lyon then opted to purchase him following his form at the 2024 European Championship.

7. Miralem Sulejmani - €16.3m (Heerenveen to Ajax, 2008)

During his only full season at Heerenveen, Miralem Sulejmani contributed 24 goals and assists in 34 Eredivisie matches, which was enough to convince Ajax to make him the most expensive player in Dutch top flight history.

He spent the next five years at Ajax, making 158 appearances and winning three league titles, before joining Benfica on a free transfer.

6. Brian Brobbey - €16.4m (RB Leipzig to Ajax, 2022)

Brian Brobbey spent 11 years at Ajax before leaving the club to join RB Leipzig on a free transfer in July 2021.

His move to Germany was slightly surprising, but Brobbey was back on loan at Ajax after just six months in the Bundesliga, and his permanent return was finalised one year after his initial departure.

5. David Neres - €17.4m (Sao Paulo to Ajax, 2017)

Three years before Antony’s transfer from Sao Paulo to Ajax, David Neres made the exact same switch, with the Brazilian moving to Amsterdam in 2017 despite only making eight senior appearances for Sao Paulo.

He played a key role as Ajax reached the Champions League semi-final stage in 2019 and he eventually racked up 180 appearances for the club before joining Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2022.

4. Josip Sutalo - €20.5m (Dinamo Zagreb to Ajax, 2023)

After progressing through the Dinamo Zagreb youth set-up, Josip Sutalo broke into the first-team in 2021 and after establishing himself as a key player in the senior side, he earned a big-money move to Ajax in 2023.

Sutalo left Dinamo Zagreb with four league titles to his name and 89 appearances for the club under his belt.

3. Sebastien Haller - €22.5m (West Ham to Ajax, 2021)

Sebastien Haller simply didn’t live up to expectations at West Ham United, with his style of play unsuited to David Moyes’ system. However, he displayed his full potential during his time at Ajax.

The Ivorian netted 47 goals in 66 appearances for the Dutch giants, before leaving to join Borussia Dortmund after 18 months in the Netherlands.

2. Calvin Bassey - €23m (Rangers to Ajax, 2022)

Calvin Bassey played an instrumental role as Rangers reached the Europa League final in 2022 and his form throughout the tournament earned him a big-money switch to Ajax.

However, Bassey never quite made the grade at Ajax and he was sold to Fulham after just one year in the Eredivisie.

1. Steven Bergwijn - €31.3m (Tottenham to Ajax, 2022)

Steven Bergwijn is the most expensive Eredivisie signing in history, due to his €31.3m transfer to Ajax in 2022.

The speedy winger left Tottenham Hotspur after two-and-a-half years at the club and he scored 29 goals in 80 Ajax appearances before joining Al-Ittihad in 2024.

The 10 most expensive Eredivisie signings of all time