Donny van de Beek and Manchester United are a brilliant match for each other, says Rafael van der Vaart, who insists the move is fully deserved.
Reports emerged on Sunday claiming that Manchester United and Ajax have agreed on a €45m deal for Van de Beek, with the Dutchman having accepted a five-year contract at Old Trafford.
No official word has been released yet from either clubs or the player, but a move appears imminent all the same.
The latest sign was Erik ten Hag’s decision to omit Van de Beek from Ajax’s friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday as ‘agreements have been made about a possible transfer’.
Now Van der Vaart, who played for Tottenham himself in the Premier League between 2010 and 2012, is delighted with his compatriot’s big-money move to the Red Devils.
“Donny deserves this transfer so much,” Van der Vaart told NOS. “He has played excellent for Ajax.
“And Manchester United really need this kind of player in their team. This transfer is fantastic for us [Dutch people] too. We are all going to follow him now. This move is so deserved.”
Van de Beek has spent his entire career to date with Ajax, managing 41 goals and 34 assists in 175 appearances. He’s also won three trophies during his time in Amsterdam.
The 23-year-old rose to prominence in 2018/19 alongside the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt by helping Ajax reach the Champions League semi-finals and win a domestic double.
La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona were also reportedly interested in the midfielder.
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