Manchester United summer signing Donny van de Beek is set to continue his attack-minded box-to-box role at his new club with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keen to give him freedom to get forward.
The versatile Dutchman completed a £35million move from Ajax earlier this month, though there is some debate over how he will fit into the United team.
Van de Beek often played in an advanced role last season – such as the one currently occupied by Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford – and scored eight goals, as well as laying on five assists, in 23 Eredivisie appearances.
But there have been suggestions he could play a deeper, sitting role for United alongside Fernandes and Paul Pogba, though Van de Beek says Solskjaer does not want to curtail his attacking instincts and suggested United’s midfield trio could all take turns getting forward.
Asked if he has a preferred position, Van de Beek told Astro SuperSport: ‘I play everywhere on the midfield, last season also I changed a lot – sometimes No.6, No.8, No.10.
‘It doesn’t matter so much. But I think one of my strengths is to come in the box and score goals, make assists. If you have this freedom then you can play everywhere I think.
Asked if he had spoken to Solskjaer about where he will play, he continued: ‘Yes we have talked about this.
‘He said also that, “One of your strengths is to go in the box and to make your runs and I want to see this also from you because it’s one of your strengths”.
‘He said also, “You can talk with your teammates, somebody has to stay and the other can go” so the balance has to be good.’
As well as his impressive attacking numbers in the 2019/20 season, Van de Beek scored or assisted 19 goals the season before last too and it appears unlikely that he will be tasked with playing as the defensive midfielder behind Pogba and Fernandes.
