Donny van de Beek – Real Madrid’s next signing?

Over the weekend, various reports have emerged about Real Madrid’s interest in young Ajax midfielder, Donny van de Beek. He fits the Florentino Perez principle of signing a player with a lot of promise, but is he a player that the club needs?

This isn’t the first time over the summer that Real Madrid has been linked with the Dutch midfielder but it always seemed as though he was a “Plan B” move while they see how things escalate with their number one transfer target Paul Pogba.

Once that seemed to be going downhill, the team was then linked with van de Beek once again and this time with genuine interest in the player.

“Real Madrid are in contact with Ajax. There is interest but I can’t say anything else,” van de Beek said after their match against Vitesse.

This is after he confirmed the interest only a day earlier but he has been very careful not to give out anymore information since the deal has not yet been finalized. Jose Luis Sanchez (JLS) has also admitted that Los Merengues are close to completing a move for the Dutchman.

Donny van de Beek was a key player in the Ajax side that made headlines after progressing to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League last season as they knocked out Real Madrid and Juventus before losing to Tottenham Hotspur.

VdB’s season was most notable for his runs into the box and his ability to finish as a midfielder. His midfield presence is also a massive asset, but that does not necessarily mean he is someone that Real Madrid needs.

With players like James Rodriguez, Isco, Dani Ceballos, and Martin Odegaard already in the team  -with the last two sent out on loan – it’s hard to see a place for van de Beek this season and especially next year when the players return from their loan spells.

With a reported fee of €50-€60 million, I personally don’t understand why the club would spend that on a player that is not a necessity no matter how great he may or may not be in the coming few seasons.

The reports about van de Beek also opened another conversation among Madridistas and media outlets on whether or not this move would mean that Real Madrid will be unable to sign Paul Pogba while various outlets have suggested that this is not the case as one signing has nothing to do with the other.

It’s also worth noting here that Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, has said that he has “no doubt” that Pogba will be a Manchester United player this season.

Signing van de Beek is undoubtedly a good move for most clubs but the question will remain if Los Blancos actually have a need for the player or is he simply someone that they feel may help even though he won’t be a starter.

It’s difficult to see any of our recent signings (VDB included) in the starting lineup under manager Zinedine Zidane other than Eden Hazard.

Therefore, it is okay to be a little uncertain about this move, but time will tell how Zizou will plan to use the Dutchman if the move is finalized.

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