Think back to 2019. A young, energetic and overachieving Ajax side have captured the hearts of fans around the world as they have made it through to the quarter-finals of that season’s UEFA Champions League.
The date is April 16, 2019 and the Dutch side have travelled to Turin for the second leg of their quarter-final tie. They faced Juventus in an evenly-balanced tie – with the Italians having the slight advantage, courtesy of the away goal rule, following a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam in the first leg.
With thirty three minutes gone the ball falls to Ajax forward Hakim Ziyech who takes a wild swing at a half volley on his weaker right foot from 25-yards-out. His strike takes two deflections off of scrambling Juventus defender as the ball flies into the box. But who’s been patiently waiting on the shoulder of the last man, waiting for an opportunity to arise or for the perfect pass? A developing young Dutchman called Donny van de Beek.
With the ball flying towards him at a rapid rate, and his back to goal, Van de Beek uses the instep of his left boot to stop it dead with a display of quite magnificent control. In the same movement he brilliantly turns 180 degrees and sets the ball forward with a delicate touch on his right. He then takes just a second to compose himself, have a look up at the goalkeeper as he finds himself one-on-one, and calmly dispatch the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.
Fast-forward 14 days and Erik ten Hag’s men travel to north London to face Tottenham in the first leg of their semi-final clash.
Fouteen minutes in and Ajax are probing, shuffling from side to side trying to find a gap in a tight Spurs defence. The ball again falls to Ziyech 25-yards-out, who threads a through ball towards goal. Van de Beek again finds himself in his now trademark position, having patiently waiting on the shoulder of the last man as his team-mates recycled possession.
Positioned 15 yards from goal the ball finds its way through to him in-between the Spurs centre back and left back. The Dutchman again takes the ball brilliantly, this time on the inside of his right, as he manages to control the ball and turn towards goal all in one movement. He doesn’t need another touch as his first was that good. He looks up and has the composure to wait a second or even two, and tricks World Cup winner Hugo Lloris with a fake shot, before placing the ball beautifully into the bottom corner.
Two goals, 14 days apart, both almost freakishly identical by description. He had become synonymous for being a goalscoring attacking midfielder, arriving late to the box. But in the space of two weeks, he added another trademark to his game: waiting on the last man for the perfect moment to turn and finish. A skill that most top-class strikers would be proud of.
In all competitions in that 2018-19 season the then 21-year-old played a massive 57 games, scoring 17 goals while setting up 13 for his team-mates. That’s 30 contributions in just 57 games. Averaging more than a contribution every other game is an impressive stat for someone so young – and a midfielder – over the course of an entire season.
Last season the Dutchman again impressed, scoring 10 and assisting 11 goals in just 37 appearances – despite the Dutch domestic season being curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic. That is again easily over a goal or assist every other game, with 21 in total over just 37 games.
Such performances gained the 23-year-old attention from Europe’s elite. The man himself has admitted a deal was done with Real Madrid for his services, he was due to move to the Spanish capital at the end of the season.
If it wasn’t for the Covid then Van de Beek would be a Real Madrid player right now, yet for some reason or another it never happened.
On August 30, 2020; Ajax reached an agreement with Manchester United for a transfer. A deal seen as a coup for United, paying just £35million with up to £5m in add-ons for a youngster with the perfect blend of ability and potential.
However, things have certainly not worked out in such a way for the 23-year-old.
Van de Beek has already made 21 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, contributing just one goal and one assist – with his strike coming on his debut as United lost at home to Crystal Palace in their Premier League season opener.
Although this is not quite a fair reflection on the man himself. From his 10 league appearances, eight of those have come from the bench, and he has played just 249 minutes in total in the English top flight.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still adamant he is a fan of Van de Beek, and that he in his long-term plans for the club, despite his extreme lack of minutes and constantly being played out of position as one of two holding midfielders.
Solskjaer prefers to deploy Fred and Scott McTominay as a solid pair in holding midfield at present, while talisman and No 10 Bruno Fernandes is the first name on the team sheet. Coupled with Paul Pogba’s miraculous upturn in form, the Dutch international isn’t getting a look in and has to settle for being fifth choice.
Van de Beek is at his best when deployed as a box-to-box midfielder due to his ability to bring such energy to the middle of the park while also being able to find that killer pass too. Or, ideally, as a No 10 playing between the lines and on the last man as a second striker.
Arriving late into the box to score was seen as his prime attacking trait. Goal.com described Van de Beek as a player who has ‘excellent control and a great eye for a pass as he links up with the attack and is dangerous as he makes runs into the box’.
Ultimately, this leads back to United’s well-documented poor transfer strategy and execution under Ed Woodward. Why would they invest such money in a player only for him to warm the bench as the club’s best player, Fernandes, plays in the exact same role?
Astonishingly, it’s believed the United hierarchy that sanctioned the move have only just realised he is best deployed as a No 10 or on the right-hand side of a diamond midfield – two positions he will rarely get the chance to fulfil.
It is true that Van de Beek was the second option, United ultimately wanted the versatile Jack Grealish to fill that role. The Red Devils believed they could get their man for £40m with Aston Villa’s impending relegation to the Championship last season. However, Villa miraculously stayed up, and the asking price shot up to £70m – a fee United didn’t want to pay so looked elsewhere.
For a club valued at £3billion in in 2019, United are often outplayed in the transfer market due to their stubborn approach to transfer fees and reluctancy to pay up.
Their never-ending pursuit of Jadon Sancho throughout the summer never got anywhere due to United’s refusal to get anywhere near Borussia Dortmund’s £120m valuation and their persistence to pay for him in instalments. Dortmund were having none of it.
In 2018, United refused to bask Solskjaer’s predecessor Jose Mourinho as he sought a new centre back. Just a few months later he was sacked.
The case of Van de Beek is a strange one. A transfer that in the cold light of day doesn’t make much sense. However, the Dutchman is and will be a truly top player. When that will be – and whether or not that will be for Manchester United – only time will tell.
By George Venn
