Ajax CEO Edwin Van der Sar has confirmed that Donny Van De Beek, as well as Nicolas Tagliafico and Andre Onana are available for transfer this summer.
Arsenal along with Tottenham have been linked with a move for Van de Beek in the coming window, and news that he is available may well come as a boost.
Van der Sar stated that he had promised the above players last summer that they would get their moves at the end of the season, and they are to stick to that promise.
“Last year, we made verbal agreements with [Andre] Onana, [Nicolas] Tagliafico and Van de Beek to stay another season, and then we look to help each other and find the next step in their careers. Nothing has changed,” he said.
“There won’t be a 50 per cent discount. The clubs can forget about that.”
Before adding: “In January last year, people said we were going to lose seven or eight players but we lost only two key members.
“The big clubs such as Bayern Munich have said the benchmark fee will go down in the next few transfer windows. But it’s easier for them to say because they are the buyers.
“Of course, the 150m-200m euros transfers are gone. But I think there is still a lot of value for players who come from Ajax.
“Well educated, experienced in winning and playing European football.”
We are expected to enter into the transfer market for a midfielder in the coming window, with Dani Ceballos set to return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan deal at the end of the term.
His departure will leave a gap in the first-team squad, and it remains to be seen who will be top of Mikel Arteta’s wishlist, although it may well come down to the asking price of Ceballos, who has already proven to be effective in our current squad.
Should Arsenal eye Van de Beek instead? Who has the bigger potential?
Patrick
