Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek has enjoyed a good season in the Eredivisie. (Getty Images)
According to Le10Sport (h/t Liverpool Echo), Everton are looking at Ajax star midfielder Donny van de Beek.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder rose to prominence after guiding the Dutch giants to two domestic titles last season. His standout displays in the middle saw Ajax emerge the Dutch champions and also bag the Dutch Cup last season.
Van de Beek was also a key member of the squad that beat defending champions Real Madrid and advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League last year.
An Ajax academy graduate, van de Beek’s rise to stardom has been pretty quick. The youngster’s talent was recognisable when he established himself as a regular in the side in the 2017-18 season, scoring 11 goals and giving 6 assists from 34 league games.
Van de Beek took his game to another level the following season after registering figures of 17 goals and 13 assists for Ajax across all competitions. Not much changed this season too as van de Beek continued his stellar form from the previous two campaigns.
After racking up 10 goals and as many assists for the defending champions in all competitions, Everton must make a move for the talented star.
Meanwhile, the Toffees have endured a difficult season. Lack of creativity in the middle has hurt Everton badly, with the side managing just 37 league goals from 29 games – the majority of which have been scored by their in-form strikers Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Except for these two, the rest of the side’s attackers have failed to impress, with seasoned playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson’s form hitting a new low. Sigurdsson, who was Everton’s top goal-scorer and assist provider last season, has been out of form this entire term and looks way past his prime.
He will turn 31 this September and has shown signs of ageing, which is very evident from his sudden dip in form. Considering this and Everton’s dearth of creative midfielders, a move for Van de Beek certainly seems like a welcome sign. Thus, Everton should try to get their hands on this star midfield dynamo.
Veteran attacking midfielder Sigurdsson’s form is a real cause of concern for Everton as they lack depth in that role. A proven customer, Van de Beek thus qualifies to be an excellent fit at Goodison Park. Moreover, he is still young and could develop better under the guidance of a top coach such as Carlo Ancelotti.