Man Utd told Ajax signing ‘one of the worst deals of the decade’

Imre Himmelbauer

• 27 Mar 2023 13:40 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United have regularly traded with Ajax for new signings in recent seasons.

Antony and Lisandro Martinez, for example, arrived at Old Trafford last summer, but the relationship between the clubs dates back further, with the likes of Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek moving to the Premier League giants from the Eredivisie side.

These moves have not always been successful, though.

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Indeed, Van de Beek is one of the worst signings of this decade, says transfer journalist Dean Jones.

The 25-year-old midfielder left Ajax for Manchester United in the summer of 2020, with the Red Devils paying €39 million for the player.

Partly due to injuries, the counter for Van de Beek after almost three seasons in Manchester is only at 2,160 minutes, spread over 60 games. He has scored only two goals and created two more.

“It will probably rank among the worst signings of the decade because in terms of the hype around it at the time, the amount of money that's been invested into the deal, and how much the player has been paid, compared to output. It’s right down there,” Jones told GiveMeSport of the 19-time capped Netherlands player.

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Van de Beek’s disappointing 2022/23

Van de Beek hoped for more playing time at United after the arrival of Erik ten Hag, the coach under whom he broke through at Ajax.

At the beginning of September, however, he suffered an injury hat kept him out of circulation until the end of October. After his recovery, Van de Beek played a number of matches, mostly as a substitute, after which he suffered another serious injury in early January. The midfielder will therefore not be able to play for the rest of the season.

Van de Beek recently shared a video showing how he is working on his rehabilitation.

Trust the process👊 Step by step💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/5BSwxlLrS9

— Donny van de Beek (@Donny_beek6) March 20, 2023

Before his transfer to Manchester United, Van de Beek was one of the greatest talents of an Ajax side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. He played a total of 175 games for the Amsterdam club, in which he scored 41 goals and 34 assists.

Van de Beek is still at Old Trafford until mid-2025 with an option for another year but the prospect of him remaining at the club for another year appears slim.

West Ham United would like to bring the Dutchman to London together with Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Anthony Martial. Inter was also previously mentioned as a possible destination.