Ajax star Donny van de Beek linked to Manchester United and Spurs

After an emphatic season with Ajax, Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek looks set for a move to England, with Manchester United and Spurs interested in the 22-year-old.

It’s been a breakout season for Ajax star Donny van de Beek, as he starred for the Dutch club in a deep Champions League run, as well as in their first domestic trophies in 5 seasons – the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup.

Of course, when you’re a young star at Ajax however, big clubs are going to come sniffing around – that is exactly the case with Van de Beek, as he has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs this summer, including Manchester United and Champions League runners-up, Spurs.

While there hasn’t been too much talk of this interest in a potential deal from media outlets, Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan has confirmed that Van de Beek’s agent referred to a move to Manchester United or Spurs as being ‘right up his street’.

"“I think he’s a proper Premier League player – he’s got a big tank, he’s got the education from Ajax, he can play in more positions in midfield. I think he’s got his eyes set on a club like Man United or Tottenham Hotspur. I’ve been talking to his agent, and he said if that would materialise it would be something right up his street.” – Marcel van der Kraan"

Both Manchester United and Spurs are in need of help in the midfield department this summer, as both sides have been lacking depth in the area of late. Manchester United have already lost a high-intensity midfielder in Ander Herrera and are clearly looking to replace him with one of the best young midfielders in the market who already has plenty of experience playing in an intense, modern side.

Spurs have relied heavily on Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks this season, and since Eric Dier isn’t quite performing up to standard anymore, it seems that they’re in need of another body.

While van de Beek is indeed a disciplined player, he is so lethal when he makes late runs into the box, as Spurs learnt first-hand when he scored the only goal of the 1st leg of the Champions League semi-finals at the New White Hart Lane.

As both sides look to open up a new chapter of their history, United with a new manager and a lot of ground to make up, and Spurs with a new stadium and a larger pedigree awaiting them, Donny van de Beek represents a quality signing that could prove to be a key figure in the XI moving forward for either side.