Five reasons why Manchester United should buy Donny van de Beek

The 23-year-old is an integral part of the AFC Ajax side.

Ahead of what’s expected to be a frantic summer transfer window, Manchester United seem to have found the perfect piece to solve their midfield puzzle. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is looking for another influential, hard-working midfielder to add more bite and attacking merit to the side. As a result, they’ve pounced on an open opportunity to try and snap up Donny van de Beek from Ajax.

He was reportedly all set to go to Real Madrid at one point, but financial crunches due to the coronavirus outbreak forced the Spanish club to curb their interest. Now United have taken the opportunity and have reportedly begun talks to sign him.

Donny van de Beek is unlike anything the Red Devils have right now. Decorated with versatility, he can operate in a number of different roles to help his side deal with different threats. The box-to-box midfielder’s high spirited performance-level enables him to ‘go the extra yard’, something not many do. Here are the five reasons why Donny van de Beek could be an integral part of United’s set-up for next season.

5. Adaptability to different scenarios

Van de Beek normally plays in this advanced midfielder role, but he can slot into different areas of the pitch when needed. Indeed, he’s played as a false number nine, a defensive midfielder and as an attacking midfielder for Ajax in the last couple of years. Due to the variety in his skillset, the Dutchman can adapt himself to approach different games as they’re needed to be.

He can be more defensive, hard-hitting on some games or look to roam forward looking to create stuff in another one. United have been lacked proper utility midfielders for quite some-time now, so Van de Beek’s arrival can add another layer of dynamism to their midfield.

4. Obtains an X-Factor to his game

While the Dutch star came out from a world-class set of talents that included Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs De Ligt, Van de Beek was often overshadowed by his peers. However, he obtained that special something which differentiates him from those two stars. The Dutch midfielder has that ‘X-factor’ which not many midfielders can actually boast about.

It’s mostly thanks to his impressive versatility, but Van de Beek has the ability to bring out something different in every single game. Be it helping his side dominate possession, contribute more in attack or even operating as a shadow striker, the midfielder has unpredictability all around his game, making him an asset for any side.

3. Yet to reach his peak

Donny van de Beek has already achieved a lot of things with Ajax, winning a number of trophies and even progressing all the way into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season. However, the best thing is that he’s yet to hit his best form. Indeed, the 23-year-old is going to reach his peak in a few years and United would greatly benefit having him during that period.

Knowing just how devastating he is going forward and his clever knowledge around the final third, Van de Beek could evolve into one of the best-attacking midfielders in Europe very soon. With United’s blooming young team set to hit their top form in a few years, having a dynamic midfielder like Van de Beek can add another layer of danger to their attack.

2. Goal-scoring threat

One important factor United have lacked this season is the dearth of goals from midfield. While the promising trio of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood have netted more than 40 goals across all competitions, they haven’t been backed up by those who play behind. Bruno Fernandes has netted a few since arriving, while Scott McTominay also chips in occasionally.

But Van de Beek has all the traits of being that menacing goal-scoring threat from midfield. He loves making those surging forward runs, getting in behind defenders and placing himself in prime scoring areas. With United’s swift link-up play, he can easily add a bonus goal-scoring threat and help them defeat the weaker sides with ease. Van de Beek scored 10 goals for Ajax this season, and replicating similar heroics for United can make him an integral part of their midfield.

1. Big-game player

Van de Beek’s biggest strength is he never backs down from a big fight on the biggest occasions, as proved in his heroics for Ajax in the Champions League last season. He scored goals against both Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur, while also getting an assist against Real Madrid. In terms of his overall impact, Van de Beek loves dictating his side’s tempo in the big games and is the first to drive them forward.  

Thanks to his unpredictable style, he’s a difficult man to keep a lid on and the Dutchman's hunger for success drives him on. United could really benefit from a player like Donny van de Beek on the biggest occasions, with his goal-scoring threat and never-say-die style a perfect match for their own philosophy.

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