Barcelona scouts have been monitoring the progress of Ajax midfielder, Donny Van De Beek according to Spanish news outlet, Diario Gol. The 20-year-old is one of the 4 players who has caught the eyes of the Catalan side and a transfer move could be in the talks ahead of the summer transfer window.
Van De Beek is blessed with remarkable technical abilities which immediately catches the eyes of every fan and has earned him a spot in the Ajax first team with 31 total appearances this season. He has been capped 41 times for the Holland U17, U19, U20 and U21 sides scoring the ball on 7 occasions.
Van De Beek has taken over the midfield role from an ageing Lasse Schone and has flourished in recent times. His close control paired with a knack for quick passes helps him link up with his teammates better while setting up the attacks.
He is versatile enough to play in almost any position in the middle of the park but is best suited to the anchor role. The Nijkerkerveen-born player is quite capable of putting in a defensive shift by winning balls through tackles and interceptions around the centre circle – always a promising sign when judging youngsters.
However, the greatest trait of Van De Beek that shines brighter than the rest is his resilience. The 20-year-old never backs down from a challenge and is always the first to jump towards contested balls to help his side out as much as he can. He is still developing into the game of top-flight European football and what better way to accelerate that transition than to play against even better competition.
The La Liga is one of the toughest leagues in Europe alongside Bundesliga and the Premier League. It is a breeding ground of a number of technically adept players and Barcelona are the ringleaders along with their bitter rivals Real Madrid.
However, is this the right point of Van De Beek’s career to make the switch towards a European giant? Barcelona are the current leaders in the league and are well poised to overthrow Madrid as the continental champions.
Their midfield has been bolstered by the signing of Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho over the last 2 transfer windows and Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta are regular starters.
The club already has Andre Gomes and Dennis Suarez as backup options and this places youngsters like Van De Beek in a tough spot. If a first team spot is not guaranteed just yet, maybe a move to the Camp Nou is not the best choice for the midfielder.
Regular minutes are his best asset at the moment and he should continue to develop his game with the Dutch outfit.
