Donny van de Beek of Ajax celebrates as he scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final first leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 30, 2019 in London, England. (Getty Images)
According to Sport (h/t AS English), Barcelona and Real Madrid are in a tug-of-war for Ajax star Donny van de Beek.
Ajax have already lost Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong this season and now Van de Beek can choose between the La Liga giants, as the two sides are battling to sign the youngster.
The 22-year-old had been a revelation for Ajax last season along with De Ligt and De Jong as they beat some European heavyweights on their way to the semi-finals of the Champions League. But that has not been the case this season, as they crashed out of the competition in this year’s edition.
The Dutch international finished last season with 17 goals and 13 assists and has continued his fine form once again. He has so far scored 7 and provided 6 assists this season.
And therefore, his impressive displays have made Barcelona and Real Madrid to battle it out for his signature. The highly-rated attacking midfielder has proven to be important for the Dutch outfit and he can offer a lot to both sides given his quality.
However, it would be good for the Catalonia club to make him their star signing as they have inconsistency in their midfield. They have been in need of a dynamic midfielder who can be lethal in the team’s build-up and attack.
Arthur Melo has been a victim of injuries since his arrival at Camp Nou and his latest issue shows that he might be out for a long time and has been undergoing treatment from the end of last season, according to AS English.
Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal have been constantly linked with a move away from Barcelona as they have fallen out of favour under Ernesto Valverde.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have some experienced campaigners in the likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Isco and Casemiro, who are still at the top of their game. And the emergence of impressive Fede Valverde would make it hard for Van de Beek to fit into the team at the moment.
The Ajax academy product would be able to get into Valverde’s team with ease and alongside De Jong, he can be more threatful to the opponents.
Barcelona have lacked a goalscoring midfielder this season and Van de Beek would be the best in that situation as he has proven himself with a healthy amount of goals and assists over the past few years.
The dynamic midfielder has established himself as one of the best in his position. At 22, Van de Beek has been a key player for Ajax and the Netherlands team.
A closer look at both the sides show Barcelona are in dire need of a midfield prowess as they have lacked intensity in the middle of the park. And moreover, beating their rivals to sign a high-profile player would boost their confidence.
Hence, Barcelona must move ahead in the queue to secure the services of Van de Beek, who is available for between €50-60m.
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