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What's the story?
According to reports from the Spanish media outlet, Marca, Real Madrid is leading the race to land Ajax prodigy, Donny Van De Beek.
Van De Beek is a preferable option for Los Blancos over Paul Pogba, but the Spanish giants might face an obstacle from other suitors such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
In case you didn't know...
With 16 goals and 11 assists, Van De Beek is one of the stars in the current Ajax side. It goes without saying that the Dutch side shocked everyone with their dominance against European heavyweights in the Champions League this season. Ajax is eyeing a historic treble and going strong in the Champions League after defeating Tottenham in the first leg of the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old played a pivotal role in the Dutch side's dominance so far, scoring crucial away goals against both Juventus and Tottenham. Van De Beek is known for his maturity off the ball, which helps him disrupt the opponent's rhythm with interceptions and tackles, but he can also drive forward and score goals when required.
The heart of the matter
It is an open secret that Real Madrid is planning a massive overhaul and Pogba is one of the top players on Real Madrid's wishlist. But Los Blancos' hierarchy value Van De Beek as a viable alternative.
According to the report, the Madrid board is reluctant to spend huge on Pogba, and the Frenchman's high salary is also a cause of concern. Zinedine Zidane prefers Pogba and the Man Utd star is also interested, but the club will not match his annual salary.
On the other hand, Van De Beek would cost significantly lesser and his wages are also modest. Teams like Bayern Munich and PSG are also interested in securing his services, which is why Madrid have to pay around €60 million for the player.
What's next?
Ajax will play Willem II in the domestic cup final before they face Tottenham in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.
Real Madrid will face Villareal next in LaLiga.
