How Van de Beek could be hampering Man Utd from signing a teenage sensation
Robin Bairner
- 12 Nov 2021 04:08 CST
- 3 min read
If Ryan Gravenberch has been delivered a sales pitch to move to Manchester United from Ajax in the summer, the Red Devils better hope that Donny van de Beek has not been the one to deliver it.
After all, Van de Beek is the last player to have moved from the Amsterdam club to Old Trafford, having taken the plunge little over a year ago to minimal success.
Even the promise of a big-money move has not allowed the young Netherlands midfielder the opportunity to stake a genuine claim for a place in the first team. Instead, he has relegated to the bench, where he has been forced to kick his heels and chew his gum.
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Little wonder, then, that Gravenberch is in no hurry to leave Ajax. Not only is he in no rush to depart, though, he is also talking about extending his stay.
Speaking to Voetbal International, the 19-year-old explained: “I am very happy here and I really don’t want to leave yet. We are also talking with the club about a new contract. There is movement and hopefully, that will work out.
“I don’t feel like I’m done here yet, I still have a lot to learn, and I still want to win many trophies with the club.”
Why Gravenberch can be patient
Gravenberch knows that if Man Utd is not the right move this summer, it could be Manchester City, Chelsea or Real Madrid further down the line.
Ajax, of course, can stake a claim to being Europe’s best-run club at present. They may lack the financial muscle of the continent’s best sides, but such is the way the team has been put together, they have been able to match them on the field, winning all of their first four Champions League group stage matches for the first time.
This comes in sharp contrast to Manchester United – a club that all-time coaching great Arrigo Sacchi recently said looked like had simply thrown 11 individuals onto the field to play together.
Of course, things could change swiftly. If manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is fired – and he is coming under increasing pressure – Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is a front runner to take over.
Clearly, this would transform the teenager’s attitude towards that particular transfer.
For the moment, though, if Gravenberch has asked Van de Beek’s advice on a move to Man Utd this summer, the answer he will have received is unlikely to be one to hasten him from Ajax.
