Manchester United: The departure of Donny Van de Beek confirmed by Ajax
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag confirmed “transfer developments” around Donny Van de Beek.
Manchester United target Donny Van de Beek is set to leave AFC Ajax in the ensuing days as the Eredivisie club receive advances from multiple suitors. The attacking midfielder sat out of his side’s friendly game against Eintracht Frankfurt, owing to the rise of transfer situation.
Donny Van de Beek played a vital role in Ajax’s surprising run in the 2018/19 Champions League, which ended in a semi-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur on a heartbreaking note. That revered squad has been dismantled and most of its members have sought different challenges by now.
Van De Beek, himself, almost completed a high-profile move to Real Madrid. Unfortunately, the financial implications of the pandemic caused the deal to collapse, which was once considered a ‘medical away’ from confirmation.
Citing an impasse Manchester United made the necessary dialogues with Van de Beek’s entourage and Ajax chiefs to lay a substantial plan to reach an agreement to sign the Holland international. But all the while, Jack Grealish remained the Reds’ priority.
Ajax’s Donny van de Beek is close to joining Manchester United, according to @orioldomenech pic.twitter.com/gsybWK1gwd
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 29, 2020
Aston Villa’s dramatic survival in the Premier League meant that they gained an upper hand in negotiations with Man United for Grealish. The Birmingham club officials have stuck to their £80million price tag.
Regardless of continuing dialogues between the clubs, the latest developments suggest that Manchester United have rescinded their interest in the Aston Villa skipper. It is understood that Ed Woodward has re-established talks to sign Van de Beek and the negotiations are accelerating.
As per Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf, AFC Ajax have been approached by Manchester United and Barcelona. However, the latter club’s move was understood to be interrogative rather than intentional. It is understood Donny is not on the Blaugrana’s transfer shortlist, which includes Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.
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Going by the developments, the deal could be concluded either way as Donny Van de Beek appears to have played his last-minute for De Godenzonen. The Ajax chiefs value the 23-year-old midfielder around 55 million euros.
"Manchester United are favourites to land AFC Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek. The 23-year-old has featured for Ajax in preseason but was left out of their squad for a friendly with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.The Netherlands international had been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks to link up with his former national team coach Ronald Koeman. However hat is not an option, with United at the front of the queue to complete a deal. (ESPN)"
Manchester United, currently, remains in pole position to sign the Dutch international ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid. It is learnt that Red Devils would pay £40m upfront and a few add-ons would be inserted to take the transfer fee near Ajax’s valuation of £49.05m.
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Murmurs suggest United could only miss out on Van de Beek should either of the aforementioned Spanish heavyweights decide to place a bid – the probability of which remains highly unlikely at the moment.
As it was at the beginning of the transfer window it, talks with Borussia Dortmund are ongoing with the Red Devils for Jadon Sancho, with them yet to make a formal offer for the English prodigy.