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Manchester United have signed Donny van de Beek from Ajax on a
five-year deal for a fee rising to £39m.
The Dutch midfielder moves to Old Trafford for a fee of €39m (£34.6m) -plus another €5m (£4.4m) in add-ons – and has signed a contract until June 2025 after completing a medical in the Netherlands on Monday.
The 23-year-old will travel to the UK after his country’s Nations League games against Poland (September 4) and Italy (September 7).
The completion of the deal before those fixtures means he will not need to self-isolate for 14 days, the government confirmed to The Transfer Show.
Van de Beek said: “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.”
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 scouted Van de Beek extensively, 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 pivotal to the run of Ajax reaching the 2018-19 Champions League semi-
finals, scoring four goals along the way and 41 in all competitions over the last three seasons.
He had been repeatedly linked 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.
The player was also close to joining Real Madrid prior to the
coronavirus pandemic, but did not undergo a medical or sign an
agreement with the club.
Van de Beek becomes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing of the summer transfer window and could make his debut when United begin their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on September 19.
Vincent Paul
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