Manchester United recently wrapped up the signing of Donny van de Beek from Dutch side Ajax for a reported initial fee of €39million plus a possible €5million in add-ons. His arrival is expected to lift the overall quality of United’s midfield.
Having joined Ajax at an early age of eleven years, he honed his skills at one of the best academies in the world and got to learn from some of the finest technical players of the game. Despite being a relatively young gun, he has plenty of experience under his belt and the Red Devils have struck gold by roping him into their arsenal.
SWOT analysis on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s latest summer signing Donny van de Beek
Strengths
Capable of executing any role in a three-man midfield, Donny van de Beek is a versatile player known mainly for his capabilities of ball retention and distribution. He thrives with the hunger to press opposition players every time possession is squandered, which was a hallmark of the entire Ajax team he was a part of.
Due to his cunningness, it is always tough to mark him or keep him at bay and his penetrating runs from deep areas enable him to unlock opposition defences. The 23-year-old generally bosses the midfield with remarkable ease and shields the backline with his unwavering resilience.
Time and again, he makes impeccable tackles and reads the game well to ensure that he is at the right place at the right time to intercept the danger. In all honesty, his intelligence belies his age, and seeing him make swift transitions from defence to attack is something the fans will come to expect as the weeks go by.
Weaknesses
One of the major shortcomings of Donny van de Beek is that he is not the quickest around. Although he thrives with positional awareness and rapid thinking, his lack of pace could hinder his influence on a game, particularly when the red half of Manchester will be up against a number of fast-paced oppositions in England.
The animosity which the Premier League has on offer is second to none and given that it is one of the most physically demanding leagues, van de Beek might struggle initially to adjust. He is not the most robust player around and will need protection in midfield from other players as he settles into his new surroundings.
Opportunities
While Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Mason Greenwood found the back of the net regularly for Manchester United during the 2019-20 campaign, there was a dearth of goals from their midfielders and this issue could be solved by the acquisition of van de Beek.
Bruno Fernandes’s penalty-taking prowess has masked the issue to an extent but the new signing will be expected to contribute in the goalscoring department.
The Dutchman bagged 8 goals and 5 assists in 23 Eredivisie appearances last season and Ole will be expecting him to match those numbers, at the very least.
Threats
Acclimatising to the Premier League is one of the tougher processes in the game and given that van de Beek has played all his football in the Netherlands, he is facing an uphill task to get ready in time especially given the curtailed pre-season.
Manchester United are still one of the biggest clubs in Europe and there will be immense pressure on van de Beek’s tender shoulders. Further, the hefty price tag which has been rolled out to secure his signature implies that there will be innumerable eyes to scrutinize his move from Day 1.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored