Eredivisie 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Donny van de Beek at Ajax and how he could fit at Arsenal

After thrilling Eredivisie and Champions League campaigns Ajax’s immensely talented young players have come under the radar in the blink of an eye. Barcelona “put their hands” on Frenkie de Jong earlier in the season, whilst their leader Matthijs de Ligt has the interest of the biggest European clubs, all waiting for the decision on his future.

One player that stayed a bit out of the spotlight is Donny van de Beek, although he deserves no less attention than his fellow players. The 22-year-old has proved to be a crucial part of the title-winning team and he often found himself in a great position to give Ajax an extra push.

Playing as a central attacking midfielder he has shown outstanding off the ball movement mixed with strong decision-making and vision, often ending being decisive in important games.

Although he clarified his plans to stay in Amsterdam, there are a few teams that would fit him perfectly.  Let’s take Arsenal, who are struggling for players on this position and have no variety on their bench. With Aaron Ramsey’s departure and Mesut Özil’s inconsistent performance, the Gunners won’t be in a good place, as they would experience struggles with delivering balls to the amazing front duo Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Londoners desperately need someone with Van de Beek’s qualities as the team was obviously struggling when Özil wasn’t in form and once Ramsey got injured. Having in mind that attacking through the wings is not the best strategy against some of the teams and hides a lot of risks, getting a replacement is a must.

In this tactical analysis, we will analyse the Dutch’s performance and see how someone with his skills could fit into Arsenal’s squad.

Outstanding flair and tactical impact

As already mentioned, Van de Beek is one of the most important players in the Champions League semi-finalists’ squad. Erik ten Hag has used him smartly and the player has adapted his strengths to the team’s strategy in the best possible way, not only performing great on his own but also complementing his teammates’ actions.

He has a natural sense of positioning and his flair of exploiting newly opened spaces is irreplaceable. Ajax’s side have built a great connection between the players and they manage to synchronize perfectly, resulting in a smooth build-up and eye-catching style of play.

We’ve witnessed that Arsenal is able to achieve quite the same results, but only when the connection between the lines is strong and the midfield players have played on their potential. One of the team’s most attractive displays this season have been a result of either Ramsey or Özil, who had a great impact to the whole team’s performance and have functioned effortlessly in the final third.