In recent months, there has been an increasing number of speculations regarding the future of Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek, who, according to Calciomercato, is linked with a move to Chelsea, Manchester United and Roma amongst many others.
United, in particular, are said to be keen to sign a new midfielder in the upcoming January transfer window but is van Beek the ideal choice for Jose Mourinho’s team?
Donny van de Beek: Player profile
Often overlooked due to the immense success of his teammate Frenkie de Jong, van de Beek is yet another exciting youngster stemming from the Ajax youth academy. Although he has been a part of Ajax’s senior team since the 2015/16 campaign, van de Beek made his breakthrough last season, featuring in 34 league matches.
Much like his midfield partner de Jong, Donny van de Beek is gifted with immense technical qualities, which makes him an efficient source of build-up play. While de Jong is a more attack-minded midfielder who likes to go forward, van de Beek likes to keep things neat and tidy in the middle, often playing a host of one-touch passes with his teammates.
In fact, he almost resembles Sergio Busquets’ style of play in the central midfield position as he rarely loses the ball and is blessed with excellent positional awareness as well as concentration.
On top of that, the 21-year-old is a productive midfielder as well, having been involved in seven goals in 15 league matches this season while providing over one key pass per game – which are quite extraordinary numbers for a central midfielder.
Is he the right choice for Manchester United?
It has been quite a turbulent season for Manchester United, whose weakness in the midfield department is pretty evident. Nemanja Matic has failed to inject any sort of defensive solidity and Fred, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba have been underwhelming for the most part.
Therefore, United are in dire need of someone like van de Beek, who can not only influence the build-up play with his flawless passing but also has the ability to create a plethora of chances for his team in the final third – making him a solid midfield prospect.
On the flip side, however, van de Beek’s lack of speed and tenacity could be exploited in the fast-paced Premier League while he may also find it difficult to make the transition from Eredivisie to the English top flight. Thus he is unlikely to make an instant impact and hence is unlikely to be on Jose’s priority list in the immediate future as he looks to resurrect his team’s fortunes.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
