Manchester United have made official the signing of Donny van de Beek, 23, who arrives at Old Trafford from Ajax in exchange for 45 million euros. The Dutch footballer, who a year ago was very close to joining Real Madrid, ends up in Ole Günnar Solskjaer's project with the aim of returning to lead the Premier League. Sign for five seasons with the option of one more.
Van de Beek, one of the stars of Ajax who excited in the Champions League 2019, takes another leap in his career after spending many years in the quarry of the Dutch team. In fact, One of the decisions published by the English press is that he will wear the number 34 as a tribute to his former teammate Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered an arrhythmia during a preseason game in 2017 that left him in a coma for three years.
Van de Beek has already spoken as a new United player on the English team's website and was delighted with his signing: “I can't begin to explain how amazing it is to be able to join a club with such an amazing history. I would like to thank everyone at Ajax. I grew up there and will always have a special bond with the club. Now I am ready to take the next step in my career and perform at the highest level and there is no higher than Manchester United. Everyone has told me how amazing the Old Trafford atmosphere is and I'm looking forward to experiencing that, once it's safe for the fans to return. This team has some of the best midfielders in the world and I know that I can learn from them and also bring my own strengths to the group. Having spoken with the coach about his vision for this team, the direction the club is taking is tremendously exciting and I can't wait to be a part of that. “
Your new coach, Solskjaer, congratulated himself on the arrival of the Dutch midfielder: “Donny has all the technical attributes needed to perform on this team and he has the personality to succeed at Manchester United. His ability to see space, time his movements and read the game will really complement the qualities we have in midfield and his arrival really strengthens the depth of talent that we have in that position. Donny's performances in the Eredivisie and in Europe have been excellent over the last few years and we are all looking forward to working with him. “
Before the Dutch league ended due to the coronavirus, Van de Beek had eight goals and six assists. His father Andre declared in the Dutch press: “It's a dream come true. It's a perfect time to make this leap to a beautiful club. Many teams were interested, but Donny has made the decision for himself.”