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What’s the story?
After failing to land Paul Pogba this summer, Real Madrid were looking to sign Ajax's Donny van de Beek, but things are not looking good for the Spanish giants. The Dutch international while addressing the situation claimed that there is a chance that he might end up staying with Eredivisie side.
In case you didn’t know…
Van de Beek scored 17 goals and provided 13 assists for Ajax during the 2018-19 season, including four goals and two assists in the Champions League. The Dutch sensation was vital to his side's dream UEFA Champions League run last year alongside Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong.
The heart of the matter
Initial reports suggested that Real Madrid were close to the signing of Donny van de Beek. They even claimed that it would be made official after Ajax's UEFA Champions League qualifier against PAOK.
But as things stand, the Dutch international player is caught up in a mixed zone. After a 3-2 victory against PAOK, the Dutchman addressed the links as he said:
“Nothing is certain yet, but there's a good chance I'll continue here. Whatever happens, Real Madrid and Ajax are both fantastic clubs. I can't complain.”
The player was seen as a viable alternative to Paul Pogba who was on Zinedine Zidane's wishlist this summer. The Frenchman ended up staying in Manchester as the Red Devils slapped a huge transfer fee on their star man, thus preventing Los Blancos from landing their man.
After selling Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea and loaning Dani Ceballos to Arsenal, Zidane needs to reinforce his squad with midfielders before the window shuts and if he fails in the pursuit of the Ajax midfielder, it could turn out to be a massive blow for the Blancos.
What's next?
It will be interesting to see how Zidane sets up his squad for the coming season after splashing huge amounts of cash on a re-build. With La Liga commencing this weekend Florentino Perez would like to wrap up the business as soon as possible.
