Official: Manchester United announce Donny van de Beek signing

Manchester United have completed the signing of Donny van de Beek, who arrives from Ajax on a five-year contract.

Manchester United have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Donny van de Beek from Ajax. The 23-year-old Dutch midfielder has put pen to paper on a five-year deal, with United reserving the option to extend it by a further twelve months.

Donny van de Beek joined the Ajax academy aged 11 in 2008 and subsequently progressed through the ranks at the club before making grade in the first-team setup in 2015. The player then became a mainstay in midfield for the Dutch giants, going on to make nearly 200 appearances while boasting a tally of 41 goals and 34 assists.

His progress over the last half-a-decade had not gone unnoticed and van de Beek has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, among other clubs for some time now. Recent reports, though, had suggested that he was ready to snub other suitors in favour of joining Barcelona, although an official bid never came.

In the past week, however, it then became clear that Manchester United were the front-runners in pursuit of the 23-year-old midfielder. Now, the Premier League heavweights have completed van de Beek’s signing.

The Dutch international ought to be a smart buy for Manchester United, especially with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer often searching for quality options beyond his first-choice midfielders. In fact, if he can continue his progress, van de Beek could potentially challenge Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in the first-team.

The official announcement does not shed any light on the transfer fee, although the BBC report that Manchester United have shelled out £35 million for his services, with a further £5 million being add-ons. As for van de Beek, he expressed his delight at joining the Red Devils.

“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.”

Donny van de Beek is now set to begin a new phase in his career after joining Manchester United. What now remains to be seen is if the 23-year-old midfielder’s acquisition proves to be another smart decision by Solskjaer in the transfer market.