Ajax director Marc Overmars has told Ajax’s official website that the Dutch club will miss Donny van de Beek.
Manchester United announced Van de Beek’s move, making him the first signing of the summer.
Overmars said: “This is a great transfer for Donny, one which he deserves. It’s also a compliment to Ajax’s youth academy, where he has played since he was 11.
“Last summer, there was a lot of interest in him but, luckily, we were able to keep him at Ajax for one more year. In the months that followed, he proved very valuable to us in both domestic and European competitions.
“He has now been a part of the Ajax first team for almost 5 years. He is ready for this step and we will miss him.”
Van de Beek scored 40 goals across the last three seasons for Ajax, and having that goalscoring ability from midfield will be key.
He can deputise for either Bruno Fernandes or Paul Pogba, and this versatility will be key for United this season.
Andreas Pereira played more than 2,200 minutes this past season and Van de Beek is a big upgrade.
His experience in the Champions League will also help United in the competition. Van de Beek has a quarter-final and semi-final goal to his name, plus assists against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
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