Donny Van De Beek And Manchester United – Would It Work?

With the transfer window opening, Manchester United are among many clubs looking to strengthen their squad this summer with fresh faces.

Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish, James Maddison and many more have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but it is Ajax’s Donny van de Beek who might be one who flies under the radar that can make a sizeable impact.

Typically, a more advanced midfielder, van de Beek has shown, over the course of the last 12 months, that he has the ability to play in a variety of positions in the middle of the park, which is exactly the criteria that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for.

With 21 goal contributions this season for Ajax, the 23-year- old’s time is coming to an end in Holland and a bigger project awaits him. Eyes might be firmly pinned on Aston Villa’s Grealish for the time being, but given van de Beek’s £40 million price tag, currently half of the Englishman’s, it appears to be a more cost-effective purchase.

Manchester United being careful with their cash this summer does not mean, however, that they are reducing their quality parameters. The Dutch international is wanted by Real Madrid and a host of top European clubs, with his stellar performances in the Champions League shining through this season.

With Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard looking likely to move on from the Red Devils this summer, it paves way for a creative midfielder to join ranks. It appears to be down to Grealish and van de Beek, although, on paper, the Dutchman’s versatility in midfield looks to be nudging him ahead – as well as the financial outlay.

Van de beek would give Manchester United the options of playing more advanced players ahead of him, given his knack of disrupting play and being able to efficiently command the defensive parts of midfield.

While there are other European giants currently admiring the services of the Dutch international, Manchester United can offer van de Beek a chance to genuinely compete with his team-mates in making the starting XI. Even though he is not an out-and-out defensive midfielder, Nemanja Matic will have to be rotated during parts of the season – as he has been throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

The transfer window will continue to rumble on until October 5, but there will be fewer chances to sign a world-class talent who is entering his prime years this summer. Van de Beek looks like an exceptional acquisition for whichever team manages to convince him of their project.