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With Erik ten Hag at the helm, Manchester United’s transfer business has largely revolved around recruiting talented stars from the Eredivisie or players that the manager has worked with in the past.
In his first season, the club signed Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Antony while last season, in came Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat on loan.
With INEOS taking over the sporting affairs of the club, the Red Devils’ approach in the market was expected to change but still the manager got his way as shown with deals for Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt.
And if Fichajes are to be believed, the 20-time English league champions now have their eyes on AZ Alkmaar’s high-flying winger Ruben van Bommel.
Ruben van Bommel, a star in the making
Son of Dutch legend and 2010 World Cup runner-up Mark van Bommel, the 20-year-old has been on fire for his club side so far this season, netting four goals while registering two assists in five starts across competitions.
A left-winger by trade who already has 13 senior goals to his name, his electrifying performances have caught the attention of plenty of Europe’s elites with Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester City also looking at the speedy winger.
A memorable #UEL debut for Ruben van Bommel ✨ pic.twitter.com/Bn7YVjHNuV
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) September 27, 2024
Former Netherlands international Pierre van Hooijdonk described the youngster as an “incredibly good player” who is “a master of everything”.
He predicts the Netherlands U21 international to eventually play as a centre-forward owing to his speed and “finesse in his finishing”.
“His (van Bommel) impressive performance in the first matchday of the Europa League has not gone unnoticed, awakening the interest of big European clubs such as Bayern Munich and Manchester United , who are already closely following his development.
United eyeing the AZ star
“The interest of giants such as Bayern Munich is not surprising, given the German club’s track record in developing promising youngsters. With a style of play that would fit perfectly in the Bundesliga, van Bommel could follow in the footsteps of his father, who also made his mark in German football.
“Meanwhile, Manchester United, looking to strengthen their squad with young and talented players, have also set their sights on him, knowing that his technical profile and mentality fit with the values of the English club.”
INEOS are looking at signing young players who can be moulded into future superstars and the AZ Alkmaar talent certainly fits the bill.
He has a contract with AZ until 2027 and is valued at €5 million as per Transfermarkt. The Dutch outfit are likely to quote a lot more but with Ten Hag’s knowledge of the Dutch league, United should ideally be all over this signing in the next window, especially considering the lack of goals that is plaguing the team currently.
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