Manchester United are reportedly eyeing Ajax star Donny van de Beek as the ideal replacement for Paul Pogba, who continues to be linked with an exit.

According to a report from Spanish publication Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester United have narrowed down on Ajax and Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek as the ideal candidate to replace superstar Paul Pogba this summer.

Pogba’s future at Manchester United has been a subject of intense speculation since last summer. The 2018 World Cup winner and his agent, Mino Raiola, tried to force through a move to Real Madrid, but the club held its ground and did not sanction a sale.

However, that could change this summer, with Manchester United reportedly getting tired of the antics of Raiola, who has been offering Pogba to clubs across Europe. The Red Devils have set an asking price of £100 million for the 27-year-old amid interest from usual suspects Real Madrid and Juventus.

Should Pogba end up leaving, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will need to bring in a replacement. To that end, Ajax star Donny van de Beek has emerged as a viable candidate for the Norwegian and the Red Devils.

Manchester bound? (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Manchester bound? (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

The 23-year-old Dutchman was one of the stars of Ajax’s immensely successful 2018-19 campaign and was once again at the top of his game during 2019-20. van de Beek concluded the Eredivisie season with eight goals and six assists in 23 matches, while also bagging a couple of goals in the UEFA Champions League as well.

The nine-time capped Netherlands international has been heavily linked with Real Madrid in the past. However, the report claims that their interest has gone silent of late. As a result, Manchester United are hoping to steal a march on the Merengues in the pursuit of the talented 23-year-old. Fellow Premier League side Everton are also interested in the midfielder.

van de Beek still has two years left on his current contract with Ajax. But given the amount of interest in him, there is a strong likelihood that he might opt to leave, more so considering that a number of stars from Ajax are set to leave this summer. Hakim Ziyech’s transfer to Chelsea has already been confirmed, while Andre Onana has also confirmed he will be leaving.

It now remains to be seen if Manchester United firm up their interest in van de Beek and make a formal approach. Although, that would largely depend on the future of Pogba. Should the Frenchman end up staying, it is unlikely that the 20-time English champions will target another attack-minded central midfielder in the transfer window.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.