Van The Man: Van de Beek joins Manchester United for €39 million

Manchester United have made a major move in the transfer market as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season.

DONNY VAN DE BEEK has signed a five-year deal with the Old Trafford team for a fee of around €39 million.

The in-demand midfielder nearly joined Real Madrid from Ajax prior to the Covid-19 health crisis.

In a statement by the 23-year-old, Van de Beek could not hold his excitement “I cannot begin to explain how incredible an opportunity it is to join a club with such an amazing history. I would like to thank everyone at Ajax, I grew up there and I will always have a special bond with the club. 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 was influential in helping Ajax reach the Champions League semi-final in 2018-19, scoring four goals.

The talented midfielder has scored 41 goals in 175 appearances in all competitions, over the last three seasons.

Speaking on the his new teammates, the young superstar added, “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 to the manager about his vision for this team, the direction that the club is going in is hugely exciting and I cannot wait to be a part of that.”

United Manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was delighted that the deal has been completed, “Donny has all of the technical attributes needed to perform in this team and has the personality required to succeed at Manchester United.”

He continued, “his ability to see space, time his movements and read the game will really complement the qualities that we have in midfield and his arrival really strengthens the depth of talent we have in that position.”

Speaking on his performances, which caught the attention of many of the top clubs around Europe, Solskjaer added, “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.”

The new Manchester United player will travel to the UK after his country’s Nations League games against Poland on September 4 and against Italy on September 7.

Van de Beek, who has chosen to wear the No 34 shirt as a tribute to his former Ajax team-mate, Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered brain damage after having a heart attack during a game in 2017, will hope to feature in a United midfield that also has to accommodate Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.

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Written by

Matthew Roscoe

Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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