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Manchester United are set to close a deal for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek in the coming days for a deal that will be worth around £ 35 million.
Either way, it’s a bargain. There will be questions about Van de Beek’s compatibility with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, and they are fair. But at least Van de Beek provides quality depth and schematic versatility for a United team in desperate need of both.
Even with a COVID discount, £ 35 million (not including add-ons) feels cheap. Probably the most impressive, under-the-radar, and best-value-for-money deal of the Ed Woodward era.
On the one hand, the relatively low fee is indicative of a change in the market. The middle ground is not as strong as in previous years. The financial implications of the coronavirus have collapsed the influence of clubs in Europe, particularly when it comes to negotiating with the power of the Premier League. United objected to Ajax’s sale price for Van de Beek last summer and in January when the Dutch club was able to negotiate from a position of strength.
Ajax sold Matthijs de Ligt (£ 76.5 million) and Frenkie de Jong (£ 76.5 million) for a combined £ 153 million last summer. The club was at the top of its Champions League semi-final. He didn’t want to break his generational crop of stars. They set their price, 80 million euros, and refused to enter into negotiations. That’s the number. Take it or leave it.
Similar figures were established for all the club’s top stars. If you’re going to break our core, it will cost you. Juventus and Barcelona were joined by De Ligt and De Jong, the two generational talents within the team, but most of Ajax’s core remained in place, though that may unravel this summer with André Onana and Sergio Dest ready to follow Van. of Beek outside the door.
De Beek was one step below De Ligt and De Jong in Ajax’s pecking order and therefore unlikely to hit the € 80 million price originally quoted. Last summer’s reports pegged his value somewhere in the € 70 million range, with the best and brightest from across Europe lining up to secure their services.
At 40 million euros, it represents a robbery. And it’s one of the first big names to move in for a reduced fee due to the financial constraints of the ongoing global pandemic.
Liverpool fans can be forgiven for looking at the COVID discount and wondering: A) Why is the club not getting involved in Some transfer activity this summer; B) Why should the club match Bayern Munich’s initial € 30 million demand for Jurgen Klopp’s main target, Thiago Alcántara, if the market suffers such a shock?
Van de Beek’s move will indeed reestablish the market for second-tier stars. But his move to United is not indicative of a collapsing market.
Ajax were particularly vulnerable to losing players in this transfer window. The Dutch game is still trying to accept the cost of canceling the 2019/20 season. TV refunds, season ticket refunds, it’s all on the table; the Dutch national authorities are still working on the details even as the 2020/21 season begins.
Missing the last stages of the Champions League also cost Ajax dearly. His run to the semi-final in 2018/19 was worth more than £ 70 million. In 2019/20, however, they fell in the group stage. After moving to the Europa League, they lost in the round of 32 to Getafe, leaving a decent-sized gap in the team’s budget, a gap that would have been comfortably filled by sales of De Ligt and de Jong if he had the virus. do not hit.
Bayern are in a much more stable negotiating position, despite Thiago having only one year left on his contract. The unique nature of this year’s “one-off” Champions League tournament makes the financial figures murky. Typically, the Champions League winner earns around £ 100 million thanks to increasing the number of matches, agreements with streaming partners, and taking their share of the winner’s pool. This year will be different: Broadcast partners may need to be reimbursed, and clubs missed those extra days.
Is unknown exactly How much Bayern will win the Europen Cup, but it will be something. And it will be enough to help inoculate the club against the economic losses caused by the pandemic. Reports from Germany indicate that the club was in a stable financial position before the Champions League; Winning the thing has allowed them to go on offense, and the team is now looking to break into the right-back market, something they had reluctantly given up on before reaching the final.
Bayern are a huge club in one day. Much like any modern superclub, they rely on ticket receipts and collective match day experience to go with the huge sponsorship money.
With no fans in the stands, Bayern’s coffers have taken a considerable hit. However, the Champions League streak has helped offset that, allowing the club to maintain a hard-line stance on any Thiago deal.
Most likely, part of the strategy-hopefully-till-the-Champions-League-fixes-had as much to do with club balance as it did with player distraction. Now Liverpool, Bayern, the player and his agent know the pitch.
Unlike Ajax, Bayern remain in a position to declare that price is price. Now Liverpool have to decide if they want to fulfill it.
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