Rafael van der Vaart urges EPL target Donny van de Beek to snub both Manchester United and Real Madrid 

Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has urged Donny van de Beek to snub both his suitors — EPL's Manchester United and LaLiga's Real Madrid — and instead move to the Bundesliga.

The Dutchman admitted that Los Blancos are a dream club for most players, but van de Beek should resist a move to the Bernabeu for his own good. According to van der Vaart, players are judged by the number of accolades they lead their team to at clubs like Real Madrid and EPL giants Manchester United, which could, in turn, add to the pressure.

Explaining his stance with the example of Frenkie de Jong's move to Barcelona, van der Vaart urged his compatriot to join the German top-flight despite quite a bit of interest from the EPL and Real Madrid.

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"Difficult to say no to Madrid," says former Real Madrid star van der Vaart

Real Madrid target van de Beek scored 10 goals in all competitions for AFC Ajax

Van de Beek joined the AFC Ajax's youth academy back in 2008 and rose through the ranks to make his debut in 2015 at the age of 18. So far in his career, the Real Madrid and EPL target has scored 41 goals in 175 appearances for the Eredivisie giants.

He has been the subject of interest from Real Madrid, with EPL powerhouse Manchester United reportedly in the race to acquire his signature too. Recently, the 23-year-old's manager Erik ten Hag revealed that van de Beek is likely to leave Ajax.

It was @BlindDaley 😁#ThrowbackThursday https://t.co/QQtAu646qb pic.twitter.com/qfGXcTf8K9

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 2, 2020

Providing an update on the Real Madrid and EPL target, ten Hag said:

"Based on their performance and ambition, a number of our players also want to make the move abroad. Agreements have been made with Andre Onana, Donny van de Beek and Nicolás Tagliafico, but it remains to be seen whether the market is indeed breaking loose."

Both Real Madrid and the EPL are great options, but they also come with a huge risk due to the competition and lack of patience with the respective clubs' fanbases.

Real Madrid target van de Beek celebrates against EPL side Chelsea in the UCL

Van der Vaart, who spent a couple of years at Real Madrid before moving to EPL club Tottenham Hotspur, knows it is extremely difficult to turn down the Spanish giants. He said:

“When Real Madrid comes, what do you have to wait for? And if they really want you, they will get you too. All those people who say that he should stay with Ajax for another year do not understand that it is difficult to say ‘no’ to a club like Real Madrid.”

Urging Real Madrid and EPL target van de Beek to work out what is best for his development and not be swayed by the tempting offers, he opined that a move to the German top-flight would be best for the Ajax midfielder.

“In Spain, there is only one thing: winning prizes. That brings a certain amount of pressure. You also have to be lucky. We also thought Frenkie was a perfect match for FC Barcelona, but that does not look like it now. I would consider Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund a great club for him.”

In all likelihood, van de Beek could still join either Real Madrid or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid will aim to collect another win in their bid for the LaLiga title when they host Alaves on July 10. On the other hand, Manchester United take on EPL strugglers Aston Villa on July 9.

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