Manchester United now have the signature of Donny van de Beek, on a five-year contract until June 2025, from Ajax for a fee rising to £39m (£34.6m plus another£4.4m) in add-ons.
The midfielder was announced as a Man United player on Wednesday, 2 September 2020, after he had completed a medical in the Netherlands on Monday
Donny, 23-year-old, will travel to the UK to join up with Manchester United after his country’s Nations League games against Poland (September 4) and Italy (September 7). He also will not need to self-isolate for 14 days since the deal was completed before those Nation League fixtures, the government has confirmed.
Van de Beek says: “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.”
To honour his former Ajax team-mate, Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered brain damage after having a heart attack during a game in 2017, Donny Van De Beek has chosen to wear the No 34 shirt.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was delighted to complete the deal and said: “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.”
United had scouts watch Van de Beek closely, with the player left out of Ajax’s squad for the Dutch champions’ friendly with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday amid rumours of an imminent move away.
Van de Beek was part of the Ajax squad that reached the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals, scoring four goals along the way and 41 in all competitions over the last three seasons.
Reports have been consistently linked the player with a move over the past few months, with Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar revealing in May the midfielder would be allowed to leave, but only for a suitable fee.
He was also close to joining Real Madrid prior to the coronavirus pandemic but the deal did not materialize and he ended up not undergoing a medical or sign an agreement with the club.
Van de Beek becomes Manchester United’s first signing of the summer transfer window and could play his first game when the Premier League campaign starts with United playing against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on September 19.
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