Five Things You Need To Know About Donny van de Beek: United’s First Summer Signing

David Tully

4 years ago

Categories: Galleries, Manchester United News, Transfer News

Tags: Donny van de Beek, Manchester United

After a summer of frustration for Manchester United supporters, the Red Devils finally made their first signing of the transfer window, with Donny van de Beek officially being unveiled yesterday.

The swiftness of the move from making the first bid to securing his signature was pretty surprising considering the snail’s pace that negotiations have been going for another of United’s key summer targets: Jadon Sancho.

On the face of it, van de Beek looks a bargain, with the Manchester club having shelled out an initial £35m on the 23-year-old, beating off the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid to his signature.

So what can United fans expect from the Dutch international? Press the next page to find out more about the player.

Van de Beek is versatile

The Dutchman has been described as a typical box to box midfielder, meaning that he is equally capable of playing as a number ten and in a deeper-lying role. His heatmap playing for Ajax in Eredivisie last season shows he can pop up almost anywhere on the pitch.

Van de Beek’s versatility will certainly be needed. In games against teams lower in the table, the Dutchman could well be employed in central midfield, alongside Paul Pogba, with Bruno Fernandes ahead of him, while he could well be a rotation option in bigger matches.

He knows where the back of the net is

Van de Beek has 41 goals in his 175 appearances for Ajax, and it is believed that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees him as someone who can arrive late in the box and get on the end of passes to score, a la Paul Scholes.

Adding another goal threat in midfield is absolutely crucial when you have other playmakers in the team, who are more focused on providing chances for others.

Van de Beek will offer United more depth

By the end of last season, Bruno Fernandes looked dead on his feet, with Solskjaer having to use him in almost every game with few other options in the squad who possessed the same quality as the Portuguese midfielder.

The arrival of van de Beek changes the dynamic as it means the Dutchman can be rotated in and out of Fernandes’s position, allowing for players to be rested on occasion.

His name his pronounced differently to what you may expect

The Dutchman’s surname is not pronounced phonetically. In September 2019, UEFA released a list of pronunciations for players who played in the Champions League last season.

Rather than pronouncing it “Vander-Beek” as some would have assumed, it is actually “Vonder-Bake” so watch out for commentators using this in televised matches.

Van de Beek will get United moving forwards

The Dutchman is an all-action midfielder. He was ninth in the Eredivisie for the most ball recoveries in the final third of the pitch last campaign, while he also made five assists and produced 320 final third passes.

He does have the tendency to pass forward much more often than sideways and backwards which is a great trait to have, especially in a United team which has struggled to break down teams in a low block.