Ajax finished 28 points behind Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven last season. Despite that, the Amsterdammers have set their sights on winning the Eredivisie this season.

Jordi Cruijff appointed Michel Sanchez as head coach in the summer and has signed 12 new players since the end of last season. The likes of Julian Brandt and Tolu Arokodare have already made a big impact during their time at the Johan Cruijff ArenA so far.

Ajax currently sit 5th in the Eredivisie with 14 points after seven games. AZ Alkmaar are currently top of the league with 19 points.

Ajax have also qualified for the UEFA Conference League league phase after three qualifying rounds. Ajax will face Hajduk Split, Atalanta, FC Midtjylland, Thun, St. Truiden and Getafe.

Abdellah Ouazane has looked very promising in the minutes he has played so far this season. He has made 12 appearances in all competitions, starting three times and scoring once, which was a wonderful goal against SC Heerenveen.

His impressive performances in an Ajax shirt earned him a call-up to the Moroccan national team, and he made his debut against Gabon during the international break.

In an interview with ESPN, Ouazane revealed what he hopes to achieve with Ajax this season.

“We want to become champions," Ouazane explained.

"We also think we can win the Conference League. And those are all realistic milestones for us as a team. But becoming champions would be the most successful outcome of this season. I think that is the biggest goal for all of us."

One thing Cruijff did very well during the transfer window was ensuring Ajax had enough squad depth to compete in the Eredivisie title race and also go very far in the UEFA Conference League.

If Ajax go far in the UEFA Conference League, Michel will have to rotate his squad regularly to deal with the busy schedule, and it is therefore very useful that Ajax have two reliable players in most positions.

This will allow Michel to rotate his starting line-up when needed without there being a massive drop-off in performance levels.

The additions of Marc ter Stegen, Daley Blind, Julian Brandt, Sofyan Amrabat and Yves Bissouma add a large amount of experience to the squad, which is crucial in title races. They are all exceptional footballers, too.

Ajax's performances heading into the games before the international break provide a lot of reason for optimism, and the club will be hoping to carry that momentum into the upcoming games. Simon Adingra and Bissouma will likely be available after the international break, and both players will significantly strengthen Michel's squad.

While Ajax are five points behind the current league leaders, they will likely only continue to get stronger as the season progresses.