United confirm Van De Beek

Following the strong rumours earlier in the week, Manchester United have today confirmed the signing on Donny van de Beek from Ajax. Reports suggest we have paid just £34.7m for the midfielder with the fee potentially rising to £39m with add-ons.

Real Madrid made an agreement last year to sign the player this summer but Covid changed that. Barcelona were the next side to fancy him but their preoccupation with the Lionel Messi situation has meant they haven’t sold they players they need to recoup money for Van de Beek’s transfer fee, setting things up perfectly for United to swoop in.

Van de Beek has spoken to the official site about his delight at moving to Old Trafford.

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.

Everyone has told me how amazing the Old Trafford atmosphere is and I am looking forward to experiencing that, once it is 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 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.

The transfer seemingly came out of nowhere, with the press not linking us to the player until the past week, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has clearly had his eye on the 23-year-old for a while.

Donny has all of the technical attributes needed to perform in this team and has the personality required to succeed at Manchester United. 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. 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.

Van de Beek will not need to self-isolate for 14 days in the UK, with the government confirming that he can apply for an exemption on sporting grounds, as he has registered as a United player ahead of the Netherlands’ matches against Poland and Italy.