According to Sky Sports, Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek has been linked with a move to Manchester United. The report states that a fee of around £40m is the amount that the Red Devils have to splash to rope in the Ajax midfield ace. The deal could be a massive boost for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ahead of the Champions League campaign next season.
The player was closely linked with a move to Real Madrid as well as Barcelona in the recent past, and one would reckon that it would have been an excellent move for both the Spanish sides if they could have landed the Dutch star. However, neither of the Spanish giants showed interest in signing the midfield ace, and now it seems that Manchester United are going to be the club to secure his services for the next season.
Real Madrid’s Midfield Woes
The reigning Spanish champions had a decent season in the domestic tournament, but when it came to playing against the big guns in the Champions League, they looked out of rhythm. One of the biggest reasons for their failure to move ahead of the Round of 16 was the lack of pace in their midfield, as the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric looked fatigued when playing for 90 minutes in consecutive games. Somehow, it seemed that Zinedine Zidane’s side lacked composure in the midfield when they faced the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho and the inclusion of Van de Beek could have been a blessing for them.
Kroos, who has looked well past his prime in recent times, especially against big teams, became 30-year-old this year. Modric is already 34, and though he has been able to pull off a few tricks of his sleeve, he has looked nothing near to what he used to be a couple of seasons ago marshalling the Real Madrid midfield. So, it won’t be wrong to say that Real Madrid need reinforcements to replace their ageing midfielders and Van de Beek could have been a perfect inclusion in this respect.
Why Van de Beek?
The Dutch midfielder has come off age in the last few seasons in the European tournaments and has played a considerable role in Ajax’s success against some of the biggest teams in the world, including Los Blancos. The 23-year-old central midfielder is known for playing key passes to set up his teammates in front of the goal and also score crucial goals himself as well.
In the last term, he scored 14 goals in 34 matches in all competitions and also laid off seven assists. This shows how useful a player he could have been if the Galacticos landed him, but they well and truly missed out on the opportunity, as things currently stand.
Why Real Madrid Are Missing Out On A Great Midfield Option?
Real Madrid will inevitably have to look for the replacements of Modric and Kroos very soon. Zidane seems to be well aware of the situation and has already recalled Martin Odegaard to pair up with Fede Valverde in the midfield, as they look to be the heirs to the legacy of players like Kroos and Modric.
Casemiro is the only option who can play for a few more years in the midfield for Los Blancos, and the inclusion of van de Beek could have handed the 34 times Spanish champions a huge advantage ahead of a new season. Having been ousted in the knockout stages in the last couple of seasons after their historic “Three-peat” in the Champions League, reinforcements looks to be the need of the hour for Zidane’s side. However, now with the Dutchman seemingly ready to move to Old Trafford, Real Madrid are set to miss out on a great option to marshal the midfield in the future for sure.
