Manchester United aims to break back into the top two of the Premier League this season, and the team has brought in a significant reinforcement to help do so.
Donny van de Beek was signed from Ajax in early September to help shore up the United midfield, which showed flashes of dominance under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season. At 23, van de Beek already has over 110 Eredivise appearances for Ajax, along with a dozen caps for the Dutch national team.
Signed for a reported £35 million ($60 million CAD), it's fair to say van de Beek hasn't been brought to Old Trafford to simply provide some depth.
In the latest episode of "Shoot-Out," Steve Bower and Greg Brady discuss the impact van de Beek's signing could have on a United side that has ambitions of breaking the Liverpool-Manchester City duopoly at the top of the table. Bower and Brady agree that the young Dutchman's addition definitely boosts United's stature among competitive Premier League elite, but it may be premature to label the team's midfield as the best in England just yet.
"[It's] certainly a work in progress and there's so much to be excited about at Old Trafford," Brady said, adding that van de Beek's new midfield partner in Bruno Fernandes is among the most exciting players in the Premier League despite only joining United in February.
One of the reasons the "Shoot-Out" hosts feel United's midfield isn't quite tops in the league yet is that the team's three highest-profile midfielders may not spend enough time on the pitch together.
"If I give you a tactical breakdown, van de Beek, [Paul] Pogba and Bruno Fernandes — in a midfield three — I don't see starting together on a frequent basis to be perfectly honest with you, purely because of the type of players they are," Bower said. "To quote the sort of the tactical side of it, a No. 6 — a deep lying, sitting midfield player — none of them are. Yes, Pogba can do it, van de Beek can probably do it, Fernandes isn't that type of player. I don't see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paying that amount of money to suddenly disrupt the balance of his midfield."
Watch the entire episode of "Shoot-Out" above, or on DAZN Canada's YouTube channel.