Donny van de Beek: Manchester United close in on £40m deal for Ajax midfielder

United are on the verge of signing the Dutch international on a five-year contract

Manchester United are close to reaching an agreement to sign Ajax playmaker Donny van de Beek.

Van de Beek is nearing a £40m move, which will see him become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing of the summer transfer window.

United are yet to agree personal terms with the 23-year-old but are increasingly confident of completing the deal after significant progress this weekend.

Van de Beek has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and the new Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman this year, though his future now appears to be at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international was left out of Ajax’s squad to face Eintracht Frankfurt in a friendly on Saturday as negotiations with United advanced.