Real Madrid Transfers: Five rumors that must not come true
Donny Van de Beek to Real Madrid
Real Madrid can’t afford to make any signings this summer due to the losses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the club is solely focusing on sales while keeping an eye on an opportunity to sign a big-name player like Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland. But there is still a scope for loan moves, and a British source The Daily Star claimed that Real Madrid are looking to sign Donny Van de Beek on loan for a year.
They also claim that the Merengues have agreed with Manchester United to insert an option to buy at the loan deal worth 2 million pounds. And The Sun published that the Donny Van de Beek loan could be a part of the deal for Raphael Varane, who is currently linked with a move away from Madrid.
Donny Van de Beek isn’t a new target for Real Madrid. He was rumoured to be joining the club in the summer of 2019. In an interview after signing with Manchester United for 40 million pounds, he revealed that he came close to signing for Real Madrid, but the club couldn’t afford him as they could not sell some players they needed to get rid of.
He used to be a Real Madrid target back in 2019, but considering the current scenario it is better to rule out the Dutch international as an option. Van de Beek was once a necessity for the club and he is a top-class player, but a lot has changed in two years.
Van de Beek is primarily an attacking midfielder, a position where Real Madrid have plenty of options like Martin Odegaard, Isco (whose future isn’t certain), Brahim Diaz and even Sergio Arribas from Castilla. Considering that, Real Madrid shouldn’t choose to overload that position, even if the option is a low-cost one.
He is versatile enough to play in a midfield trio as well, and his work rate is fine, but it is difficult to see him survive at Real Madrid. He isn’t exactly a ball carrier or a traditional number ten. He is more of a Thomas Muller type player, an intelligent player who can be found easily in the final third. He can provide a great goalscoring option as a midfielder, but compared to Kroos, Modric, and Valverde, he is a very different player.
It is difficult to see him being accommodated in a 4-3-3 with the above mentioned players obviously having a fixed position in the pecking order. And considering the umpteen number of wingers at Real Madrid, it is difficult for a manager to use a four midfielder formation to accommodate an additional midfielder. He is a player with some supreme technical abilities, but he might not be the perfect fit for Real Madrid at the moment.
And Van de Beek is a player struggling for minutes, form and fitness. He has played only 511 minutes in the Premier League last season, making only 19 appearances with most of them coming as a substitute. He has been a bench player for Manchester United, and has missed the EURO 2020 due to an injury.
Considering all these factors, Real Madrid should never take the risk of signing a struggling player and risk a spot in the squad when every spot and every player is important for the club.