In recent seasons Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt have left Ajax in big-money deals, Football Critic's Paul Macdonald looks at the stats behind why it's now Donny van de Beek's turn.
Ajax players inevitably reach a position where they feel they have outgrown their surroundings. Donny van de Beek has reached that point.
As we’ve seen with Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, two superstars who departed for Barcelona and Juventus respectively, the move can seem ill-timed.
But for some the Eredivisie has already given them all that it can. Luis Suarez and Christian Eriksen are relatively recent examples of players whose skillset had consistently proven itself to be superior to the level and Donny is now in that bracket.
Manchester United, after completing a £40m deal with Ajax, are the side who will be getting Van de Beek’s services. So what type of player are they getting?
Well, it’s probably easier to describe which type of player they aren’t getting. Van de Beek is not a No.10 in the style of a Bruno Fernandes or an Isco; from an attacking perspective, his 0.23 assists P90 in the Eredivisie isn’t particularly stand-out, nor is his five big chances created in 1,916 minutes. Recent comparisons are difficult given that Dutch football was curtailed, but for what it's worth, at that point Kevin De Bruyne was already on 25 and Red Bull’s Christopher Nkunku 12.
Likewise, his 0.38 non-penalty goals P90 is good, but not outstanding even for a midfielder, given that the standard of the Eredivisie has to be taken into consideration.
But nor is he a conventional holding midfielder in the guise of De Jong - his 42 passes P90 are half of what De Jong produced in 2018/19 at Ajax - nor is he prolific in terms of recoveries - Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay are all superior - while his tackle win % is extremely similar to that United trio.
It might sound like we are giving poor Donny a bashing, but it’s not the case. In fact what the data proves is that in this 23-year-old we have a midfielder capable of all things at a high level, one that could be the perfect ‘second’ midfielder in a 4-3-3.
What it doesn’t show is the dedicated specimen that Van de Beek has become. Ajax youth coach Bryan Roy described him as ‘physically devastating’ while team-mate Dusan Tadic said: “He started to live even more for football.
“Donny likes to listen to the older players, he has started to pay more attention to his diet and to train harder in the gym.”
He is tall, built and supremely fit and in a world where specialisation is coveted, Donny’s multi-functional style is what makes him great, the type of player who can step into any situation and adapt to what is required.
His ability to excel anywhere across the middle would provide a key advantage to Man United, particularly in games where two conventional defensive midfielders aren’t necessary.
United’s midfielders have produced woeful returns in front of goal in 2019/20 - McTominay topping the list with four - and Van de Beek’s stats suggest he would immediately provide those midfields with a totally different energy.
His Touches in Box P90 of 7.8 is double that of any of the Manchester United midfielders mentioned, typifying someone who breaks beyond and gets into positions where he can score and create. His 2.1 Shots P90 are also superior to the same players.
This is a hybrid footballer capable of performing multiple roles with distinction, typical of the Ajax academy that created him. Dennis Bergkamp, a notoriously intelligent student of the game and one immensely dedicated to self-improvement, said he sees elements of himself in Donny, helping paint a picture of the type of professional United are lucky enough to be acquiring.
And there’s also last season: 30 goals and assists at a rate of 0.66 P90. A generational campaign was snatched away from him and Ajax in the Champions League, but he had already more than proven his talents in providing either a goal or assist against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham.
He stayed at Ajax through loyalty. He gave them another year so he could then leave with their blessing. He has fulfilled his promise and now, one of the most unique, adaptable midfielders in Europe is ready to take that step.
He’s ready.
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A version of this story was published on 14/06/20
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