Donny van de Beek will stay at Ajax this season, says Marc Overmars

Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek will not be joining Real Madrid this summer according to sporting director Marc Overmars.

The 22-year-old was instrumental as Ajax reached the Champions League semi-final last season and has subsequently been linked with a move to the Bernabeu.

Van de Beek to Real transfer saga: Five things to know…

• Van de Beek’s midfield exploits were key as the Amsterdammers reached the CL semi-final last term.
• He scored 17 goals and registered 13 assists as Ajax clinched a domestic double.
• As such he has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs as well as Real Madrid.
• Van de Beek himself admitted Real were interested in signing him.
• However, reports suggest Zinedine Zidane isn’t convinced and Overmars has now poured cold water on the rumours.

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Zinedine Zidane has made no secret of his desire to add substantial firepower to his central midfield, with Los Blancos having made moves for Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen this summer.

Another, albeit less prominent, name to have also been mooted with a move to the Spanish capital is Van de Beek, but reports indicate Zidane is unsure of his qualities to truly transform the Madrid midfield.

And those rumours have now fallen flat after Overmars confirmed the Dutch international will not be joining the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt out of the exit doors this summer.

At the opening of the Estadi Johan Cruyff in Catalonia, which hosted its inaugural match between the under-19 teams of Barcelona and Ajax in honour of Cruyff, Overmars spoke to SER Catalunya.

He said: “This year Van de Beek will stay at Ajax.”

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‘De Jong may need time’

Talking to the Spanish press about former talisman De Jong and his potential at the Nou Camp, Overmars stated that it may take time for the midfield metronome to establish his best game as Ernesto Valverde gets to grips with his ideal position.

He said: “It is still too early to analyse his game. The competition has just begun and he needs time.

“Frenkie can play here for ten years, we all need time to adjust. The trainer still needs to find the best position for everyone.

“This also happened at Ajax, it is still a matter of finding his best position. It takes some time before you find it.”