Manchester United agree £35.7m fee to sign Donny van de Beek from Ajax

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Ajax for Donny van de Beek. The fee is £35.7m (€40m) plus add ons, with personal terms agreed with the Netherlands midfielder on a deal until 2025.

Van de Beek has attracted interest from several of Europe’s leading clubs having excelled for the Dutch side over the past three seasons, with Real Madrid and Barcelona among those to have been linked with the 23-year-old in recent months. United, however, have beaten the Spanish clubs to the player having been in touch with his agents and maintaing strong links to the Eredivisie champions thanks to the former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who is Ajax’s chief executive. The transfer should be completed this week.

Van de Beekhas scored 41 goals in 175 appearances for Ajax’s first team having joined the club as an 11-year-old and has previously been tracked by Tottenham.

“There are indeed developments that keep him out of the selection,” the Ajax manager, Erik ten Hag, said on Saturday. “We will see what happens. We’ll make an announcement as soon as there’s some clarity.

“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 cooperate.”

The signing of Van de Beek would be a potential coup for the United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who wants to strengthen his midfield options before the new season. Talks over the potential signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund have yet to be resolved, while United are also in the market for a new centre-back.