Manchester United are reportedly considering a bid for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek despite it appearing almost certain he was heading to Real Madrid .
The 22-year-old rose to prominence last season when he starred in Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals, impressing in knockout games against the likes of Juventus and Madrid.
He has also been a key part of the team during the current campaign, scoring eight times and creating five assists in 23 games in the Eredivisie.
It was thought that Madrid had agreed terms for van de Beek to sign in the summer, but according to Spanish publication Marca United may make a last-minute effort to hijack the move.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to still be keen on adding more creative options to his midfield following the capture of Bruno Fernandes in January, and van de Beek is exactly the sort of player he thinks would benefit United.
It is not yet clear just how realistic the chances of him signing are, though, with the player apparently having his heart set on a move to Madrid.
When asked last year about the speculation linking him with move to the Bernabeu, van de Beek said: "I can’t say much about those rumors. I don’t want to, either. They’re things you don’t really want to deal with. I’m not leaving until everything feels right.”
Madrid almost signed van de Beek last summer, but due to the fact they were unable to sell James Rodriguez or Gareth Bale the move eventually fell through.
If they do manage to sign him, United would hope van de Beek could have the same sort of impact as Fernandes, who since signing from Sporting Lisbon in January has transformed the team's fortunes on the pitch.
Fernandes has scored three times and created four assists since his move to Old Trafford, and the prospect of him and van de Beek in the same team is a formidable one.
