TalentSpotter: Donny van de Beek
Donny van de beek
Club : Ajax Amsterdam
Position : Defensive/ central/ attacking midfielder
Value : £3.60m (Transfermarkt)
Foot : Right
Nationality : Netherlands
Age : 20
About Him
Compared to: Donny van de Beek is likened to Everton’s Davy Klaassen due to their similar style of play.
His Story: Donny van de Beek is a product of Ajax youth academy. The young starlet was named Ajax’s talent of the future last season, which has previously been won by Wesley Sneijder, Tottenham and former Ajax player, Christian Eriksen and United’s Daley Blind. The 20-year-old has been promoted to the senior side since 2016 – this is probably to replace Riechedly Bazoer who apparently also has a similar style of play.
Linked with: Barcelona and Bayern Munich were keeping tabs on him all summer but no move materialised.
Strengths and Weaknesses: The deep-lying playmaker is an amazing passer with a passing completion rate of 88.3% in Eredivisie. His passes are always a threat to the opposing team. He is also a pretty proficient tackler. Van de Beek doesn’t have any significant weaknesses.
Playing Style: van de Beek is known for his crisp passing style, knowledge of the game and his impressive skills. He is often utilised as a central midfielder with the role of a deep-lying playmaker or as a regista.