Ajax Amsterdam has been one of the favourite hunting grounds for teams across Europe for quite some time now. The Dutch club has spotted young talents, nurtured them and crafted them into world-beaters, only to be poached away by bigger teams.
This time the player in question is Donny van de Beek, who has attracted a lot of interest from teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Newcastle United. However, Edwin van der Sar, the chief executive of the club has sounded a warning to the suitable poachers by stating that the price of the player would not go down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Van der Sar has recently stated to Reuters, “The big clubs such as Bayern Munich have said the benchmark fee will go down in the next few transfer windows. But it’s easier for them to say because they are the buyers.
“Of course, the 150 million-200 million euros transfers are gone. But I think there is still a lot of value for players who come from Ajax. Well educated, experienced in winning and playing European football.
“Last year, we made verbal agreements with Onana, Tagliafico, Van de Beek to stay another season and then we look to help each other and find the next step in their careers. Nothing has changed.
“There won’t be a 50% discount. The clubs can forget about that.”
The prospect of Donny van de Beek
23-year-old Donny van de Beek joined Ajax in 2015 and was straight away inducted into the first team. An attacking midfielder by trade, he can also play in a central midfield role. De Beek’s main forte is his link-up play and ball control, although he does have an excellent eye for the goal, scoring 28 times in the league for the club in 118 appearances.
The midfielder had an excellent 2018-19 campaign with Ajax, where they reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, and he was selected in the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or. His remarkable performances for the club has also drawn the attention of his national team boss, and De Beek has been part of the Netherlands outfit from 2017, already having ten matches under his belt.
What does this mean for Newcastle?
Newcastle United are making all the headlines this summer because of their proposed £300 million takeover. After this takeover happens, the club are rumoured to after the best of talents from across the globe. Considering their ambition, the board should not only look to get the more established players but also they should have an eye for the gifted young players who could be part of the team for a long time to come.
Although money should not be the biggest of the problems for this Newcastle United side at the moment, at a time when world football is going through drastic changes, the club would not want to shell out the kind of money that would have been justifiable in the pre-COVID era. However, considering the talent that the player possesses and the long term prospects, Newcastle United would do well for themselves to further negotiate with Ajax and reach agreeable terms, suitable to both the parties.
