Ajax is regarded as a club steeped in the history of the Dutch game, often entwined deeply with the Dutch national team.
The club has produced several prolific players for the Oranje, such as Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp.
However, down the years, many non-Dutch players have also proven to be highly prolific for the Amsterdam club. Here are the most prolific foreign players in Ajax’s history:
Jari Litmanen (136 goals in 259 appearances)
The former Finland international is a modern-day Ajax legend, having enjoyed a fantastic career in the Dutch capital.
The attacking midfielder enjoyed two spells with Ajax, first from 1992-1999 and then from 2002-2004. He is best remembered at the club for his first spell, though.
Litmanen didn’t really establish himself until his second season when he scored a career-best 36 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions.
Ajax won five Eredivisie titles and one Champions League thanks to his contributions.
Litmanen’s 26 goals in season 1993/94 earned him the Eredivisie Golden Boot. In 1993, he picked up the Dutch Footballer of the Year award.
The Finnish international was also awarded the Golden Boot in the Champions League in season 1995/96, scoring nine goals.
Luis Suarez (111 goals in 159 appearances)
After a promising season in Eredivisie with Groningen, the Uruguayan forward joined Ajax in the summer of 2007 for a fee of €7.5 million fee.
Suarez was sensational in his four seasons with the club, scoring 111 goals in 159 appearances in all competitions, 81 of which came in the Eredivisie.
The most prolific campaign of his Ajax career came in season 2009/10 when he scored 49 goals in 48 games in all competitions.
During his stay in Amsterdam, Suarez helped Ajax win the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup titles. Unsurprisingly, he also won the Eredivisie Golden Boot in season 2009/10 and claimed the Dutch Footballer of the Year award.
His performances in the Dutch capital earned him a move to Merseyside giants Liverpool before he moved on to Catalan giants Barcelona. During the latter stages of his career, he also featured for Atletico Madrid and Gremio, amongst other clubs.
Dusan Tadic (105 goals in 231 appearances)
The Serbian international had previously played in the Eredivisie with the likes of Groningen and FC Twente before a switch to English club Southampton in 2014.
However, the playmaker returned to the Netherlands in 2018 for a fee of €11.4million, with potential add-ons of €13.7million based on variables.
Tadic proved to be an inspired signing. Not only did he score an impressive 105 goals for Ajax, but he was also a hive of creativity, picking up 112 assists in all competitions.
Tadic contributed to the team’s success, winning three Eredivisie titles and KVNB Cups during his time in the Dutch capital.
On an individual basis, he shared the Eredivisie Golden Boot with Luuk de Jong in season 2018/19, when the pair scored 28 goals each. The season was by far the attacking midfielder’s most prolific in front of goal.
Tadic also picked up the award for the most assists in the Eredivisie in all five seasons he was with Ajax, having previously won the award on two occasions in his previous spells in the Dutch top-flight.
In the summer of 2023, the Serbian star said farewell to Amsterdam, joining Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
Stefan Pettersson (100 goals in 197 appearances)
The Swedish international forward joined Ajax from Goteborg in his homeland in 1988. He spent six years with the club from the Dutch capital, plundering a highly respectable century of goals in 197 appearances.
Pettersson won the Eredivisie twice with Ajax, the KNVB Cup and the UEFA Cup with the Dutch giants.
The most prolific campaign of his career in the Eredivisie came in the season 1992/93 when he scored 19 goals.
In 1994, Pettersson left Ajax to return to his former club Goteborg. However, the Swede certainly made his mark during his stay in the Netherlands.
Soren Lerby (92 goals in 269 appearances)
Lerby is one of many talented Danish players who have played for Ajax in their history. The midfielder joined the Dutch giants in 1975 from his boyhood club, Fremad Amager.
His record of 92 goals in 269 appearances is an impressive one for someone who was not considered a forward player.
Lerby spent eight years in Amsterdam, helping the club to five Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups. He also scored ten goals to win the Golden Boot in the 1979/80 European Cup.
Lerby left Ajax in 1983 to join German giants Bayern Munich. Later in his career, he returned to the Netherlands to ply his trade with Ajax’s rivals PSV Eindhoven, winning multiple trophies, including the 1988 European Cup.
Are any of your favourite Ajax players on our list?