Manchester United have made a splash in the transfer window, with sources confirming a deal will be finalised imminently for Ajax’s Donny van de Beek.
Dutch international Donny van de Beek will cost just shy of £40 million, according to Sky Sports. The rumoured price tag of 40 million pounds represents a significant outlay in the post coronavirus market, even for a global brand such as United.
"Donny van de Beek has agreed personal terms with Manchester United and will complete a medical in the coming days ahead of a £40m move from Ajax.The deal, which is thought to be in the region of €39m, plus another €5m in add-ons, is expected to be completed in the next few days while the player is on international duty with the Netherlands. (Via: Sky Sports)"
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is, however, one of the most sought after youngsters on the continent, with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and more reportedly in the running for his signature.
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In fact, Van de Beek almost tied up a move to Madrid prior to the shutdown of Dutch football and cancellation of the Eredivisie season. However, it seems like the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on world football has played into United’s hands, with the Red Devils set to pip Los Blancos to his signature.
Van de Beek broke into the first team at Dutch champions Ajax in 2015 and has been a regular starter for over four seasons now. He truly rose to prominence, however, following his starring role in Ajax’s fairytale Champions League campaign the 2018/19 season, alongside fellow academy graduates Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.
The season past, he bagged 14 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, in just 34 games, playing in both attacking and more deep-lying roles. He will be the second major midfield exit at the Johan Cruijff Arena, following Hakim Ziyech’s recent transfer to Chelsea.
Is van de Beek’s signing the end for Lingard & company?
When the Dutchman does arrive, as is expected, then it raises the question of many United stalwarts’ futures at the club.
The likes of Jesse Lingard (a United academy graduate) and Juan Mata, already sidelined following the signing of Bruno Fernandes in January, may be on the way out of the club altogether. The new acquisitions and more recent academy graduates set to be favoured by Ole Gunnar Soljskaer over the likes of Lingard and Mata.
Mata and Lingard, both members of United’s Europa League winning squad in 2017, failed to fire last season, contributing a mere 7 goals and 8 assists between them, despite both featuring more than 30 times each in all competitions.
The spate of new midfield signings, van de Beek included, might well signal a changing of the guard at United, who are looking to finally shake off the mediocrity of the post-Ferguson era.
Moving the deadwood on (which is easier said than done) will finally allow Soljskaer to mould the team to his liking, getting rid of underperforming veterans on monster contracts, and making United a hotspot for Europe’s best young talent once more.