Manchester United misfit Donny van de Beek would be a “wonderful replacement” for Gini Wijnaldum at Premier League rivals Liverpool, Ajax legend Sjaak Swart has told Veronica Inside, via SoccerNews.
The £40 million Netherlands international may have endured a miserable debut season at Old Trafford but there’s more chance of Sir Alex Ferguson belting out a raucous rendition of Blue Moon than there is of United selling Van de Beek to their north west rivals.
Wijnaldum’s departure has left Liverpool scouring the market for a box-to-box midfielder capable of snatching back possession in one moment before carving open an opposition back line the next.
Youri Tielemans, Yves Bissouma and Ozan Tufan have all been linked recently.
Swart, however, feels Van de Beek would be an ideal addition to Klopp’s engine room – even if no first-team player has swapped United for Anfield since the late Phil Chisnall in 1964!
Could Van de Beek make history at Liverpool?
“(Van de Beek) played really great at Ajax. He was ready for a move abroad but, at United, they have eight or nine midfielders,” explains seven-time Eredivisie champion Swart.
“You have a midfield with (Paul) Pogba and (Bruno) Fernandes. (Leaving) is a choice he has to make himself.
“(Van de Beek) would fit in at other clubs. If I look at Liverpool, Wijnaldum is leaving now. He would be a wonderful replacement. Or Thomas Muller at Bayern Munich.”
Manchester United yet to see best of Van de Beek
Van de Beek made a name for himself as one of the most intelligent, technically astute attacking midfielders in Europe at the Johan Cruyff Arena, impressing alongside Matthijs de Ligt, Hakim Ziyech and Frenkie de Jong as Ajax stormed to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
But does a player renowned for his subtlety and clockwork movement fit in at a Manchester United side whose attacks are usually the result of off-the-cuff chaos rather than pre-planned drills?
No-one at Old Trafford is giving up on Van de Beek yet, of course, with plenty of players needing time to adapt to life in England before kicking on in their second season.
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