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Donny van de Beek receives Man Utd transfer message from Rafael Van der Vaart
Manchester United are closing in on the Netherlands international.
Donny van de Beek's imminent move to Manchester United is thoroughly deserved, according to his fellow Dutchman Rafael Van der Vaart. The Red Devils are closing in on a stunning deal for the Ajax midfielder after striking an agreement for his services with the Dutch powerhouse.
It's understood United will fork out £40million for the midfielder, who impressed many in Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2018-19 season.
Van de Beek is said to have already agreed personal terms with the club, although the finer details of his deal are currently unknown.
The impending acquisition of the 23-year-old is a huge statement of intent from United, who will be hoping to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title next season.
And former Ajax and Netherlands star Van der Vaart, who played for Tottenham for two seasons, believes United will benefit immensely from his signing.
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Donny deserves this transfer so much
"Donny deserves this transfer so much," Van der Vaart told NOS. "He has played excellent for Ajax.
"And Manchester United really need this kind of player in their team.
"This transfer is fantastic for us [Dutch people] too.
"We are all going to follow him now. This move is so deserved."
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Manchester United have reportedly fended off interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona to land Van de Beek.
Van de Beek has remained tightlipped on his future in recent weeks, but Ajax boss Erik ten Hag recently hinted his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena will soon come to an end.
Speaking after Ajax's friendly with Frankfurt this past weekend, he said: "The fact that Donny did not play does indicate a direction.
"The request not to let him play did not come specifically from one side. We do that together.
"Agreements have been made about a possible transfer, and if that possibility arises, you must also co-operate."
Van de Beek made his Ajax debut in November 2015 and has since gone on to make a total of 175 appearances for the club, scoring 41 goals in the process.