Van de Beek was born on April 18, 1997, in Nijkerkerveen. He has played at Ajax since the D-Juniors level. He made his debut with the first team on November 26, 2015, in the UEFA Europa League match, Celtic – Ajax (1-2). The Dutch international has played 175 official matches with the Ajax first team, scoring 41 goals.
In the 2018-2019 season, Van de Beek became an Eredivisie champion, in addition to capturing the KNVB Cup. Last year, he won the Johan Cruijff Shield with Ajax.
Director of Football Affairs Marc Overmars remarks: "This is a great transfer for Donny, one which he deserves. It’s also a compliment to Ajax’s youth academy, where he has played since he was 11. Last summer, there was a lot of interest in him but, luckily, we were able to keep him at Ajax for one more year. In the months that followed, he proved very valuable to us in both domestic and European competitions. He has now been a part of the Ajax first team for almost 5 years. He is ready for this step and we will miss him."
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Text: AFC AjaxPictures: AFC Ajax