Ajax CEO and former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has confirmed United are among the teams interested in signing Donny van de Beek.
It was reported by Dutch national De Telegraaf on Saturday that United were considering hijacking Van de Beek's prospective move to Real Madrid, the Spanish giants who were widely expected to snare the 23-year-old midfielder this summer.
Van de Beek rose to prominence last year as he played a key role in Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals.
Madrid were the front-runners to sign Van de Beek but the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic has put that move in doubt. Madrid's players agreed to take pay cuts ranging from 10 to 20 per cent at the beginning of April and also spent over £200million on transfers last summer as Zinedine Zidane performed a squad overhaul after a disappointing 2018-19 campaign.
The MEN reported in January that Van de Beek was among the players being scouted by United ahead of the summer window.
United could look to take advantage of the financial predicaments of both clubs, with Madrid potentially not able to finance a deal and Ajax also in need of financial security of their own following the curtailment of the Eredivisie campaign. Ajax have already agreed to sell one of their star players this summer, with the Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech due to join Chelsea.
Speaking to Dutch outlet NOS, Van der Sar said: "It’s clear that clubs like Real Madrid and United are showing interest in Donny van de Beek."
Van der Sar took on the role of Ajax CEO in November 2016 and signed a new four-year deal with the Dutch club last year, quietening speculation that he could become United's inaugural sporting director.
