Manchester United sign Donny van de Beek from Ajax
Premier League club Manchester United have completed the signing of Netherlands mid-fielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax for £35m, plus £5m in add-ons, on a five-year contract. He is United's first signing of the summer and will be available for the side's opening league game of the 2020-21 season against Crystal Palace on September 19. Here are further details on the same.
'There is no higher standard than Manchester United'
Van de Beek said he is ready to take the next step in his career. "I cannot begin to explain how incredible an opportunity it is to join a club with such an amazing history," he said. "I am now ready to take the next step in my career and perform at the highest level and there is no higher standard than Manchester United."
Van de Beek keen to learn from United's mid-fielders
Van de Beek is keen to learn from United's group of mid-fielders. "This team has some of the best mid-fielders in the world and I know that I can learn from them and also bring my own strengths to the group," he said. He added that the direction United are going under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hugely exciting.
Solskjaer has his say on Donny
Solskjaer said that Donny has the attributes needed to perform in this side. He added that the qualities Donny brings strengthens the depth of talent in mid-field. "His ability to see space, time his movements and read the game will really complement the qualities that we have in mid-field and his arrival really strengthens the depth of talent we have in that position."
What could the player offer at Manchester United?
Donny van de Beek is versatile and can operate in a central or attacking role and has been described as the classic box-to-box mid-fielder. The youngster has the ability to play anywhere across the middle and that will be of massive help for United. United can utilize an alternative of playing with a diamond and two up front with Donny in the side.
A look at Donny's stats
Donny appeared in 175 matches for Ajax in all competitions, scoring 41 goals. Notably, he has managed to score 10-plus goals in each of the last three seasons. In the 2019-20 season, Donny accounted for 11 assists as well to show his prowess.
