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#4 Donny Van De Beek
One of the most sought out young midfielders in the world and the second half of the brilliant Ajax central midfield, Donny Van de Beek is a name to be reckoned with in the coming years. Van de Beek joined the Ajax Academy at the age of 11, coming through the youth setup before making his professional debut against Sparta Rotterdam in January 2015 for Jong Ajax (reserve team), aged just 17.
Two months later he got his maiden Senior team call-up as he was an unused sub against ADO Den Haag before eventually making his debut for the Dutch giants 6 months later against Celtic in the UEFA Europa League. By the end of the season, the teenager cemented his place in the first team.
The first full season in the Ajax squad saw Van de Beek making more appearance for the Dutch giants, even making the substitute appearance against Manchester United in the 2016 UEFA Europa League final as Ajax finished runners up in the league and Europa league.
The departure of Davy Klaassen in the following season saw Van de Beek being elevated to the starting lineup. The young midfielder was so good that he eventually filled the void left by Klaassen. At the end of the 2017-18 season, the 20-year old was subjected to many transfer rumors with Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma looking to capture the brilliant midfielder.
Blessed with brilliant passing and ball retention capabilities, Van de Beek rarely loses the ball and is able to keep it well. Capable of playing any role in Ajax’s midfield three, van de Beek can operate as the main anchor or a bit further forward. He is a very neat and tidy player, who likes to play a lot of quick, short passes, often keeping things simple and playing one or two touch football.
The central midfielder has made 1.3 tackles per game and 0.8 interceptions this season. On the offensive side, the 21-year old averages 1.4 shots, 1.3 key passes and 0.8 dribbles at a pass succession rate of 80%.
Donny Van de Beek has so far made 118 appearances for Ajax and has scored 19 goals and made 18 assists for the Dutch giants.
