Kenneth Taylor joins Lazio for a fixed fee of €16.85 million, Ajax confirmed in a club statement.
The 23-year-old Ajax youth academy product was close to joining FC Porto the past weeks, but eventually chose Lazio over Galatasaray and the Portuguese giants.
Taylor was already close to leaving Ajax last summer after FC Porto reportedly wanted the midfielder to join manager Francesco Farioli, who left the Amsterdam club after one season.
'Here to win trophies'
"I'm happy to start this new adventure. Lazio are a great club," Taylor said in his first media appearance with the club.
"Last year, they beat us 3-1 and made a great impression on us. I'll try to bring everything I learned at Ajax here with the aim of winning trophies. At a big club like Lazio, there's always pressure, but I think that as a team we can handle it well and approach every match with the idea of winning."
During his time with Ajax, Taylor won two league titles and the KNVB Beker in 2021.
Marijn Beuker, Ajax's director of football, praises Taylor highly after coming through the ranks of the famous Ajax academy.
"Kenneth is a true Ajacied who progressed from our youth academy to the first team at a young age and is therefore an example for our current youth players," said Beuker.
"He has developed into a regular member of the midfield and has made an important contribution to our sporting performances in recent years. Kenneth would like to take the next step in his career, and we are happy to grant him that opportunity. We have therefore thanked him for his efforts and wished him every success in Italy."
Taylor played his best football under Farioli, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in the league as Ajax nearly won their 37th Eredivisie title. This season, Taylor scored two goals and gave two assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
After making his debut in 2020, Taylor amassed 184 senior appearances for Ajax across all competitions, scoring 36 goals and providing 27 assists.