Real Madrid make an offer for Van de Beek
The Ajax midfielder has been inundated by offers with one of them coming from the Spanish giants who are weighing up a number of options, including Pogba and Eriksen.
Real Madrid have made an offer to Ajax's Donny Van de Beek as they continue to weigh up various options in case the move to sign Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba fails to happen.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has made it clear to club bosses that his preferred option is Frenchman Pogba, however executives at the Bernabéu are known to prefer Tottenham's Eriksen - that move appears to have ground to a halt however, despite Danish outlet Fyens reporting that the player was looking for a house in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid keeping midfield options open with Van de Beek offer
Despite chasing Pogba and Eriksen, Real Madrid are keeping their options open with their offer to Van de Beek, one of the footballers who burst onto the scene with Ajax this season, as they knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League and came incredibly close to making it to the final of the tournament.
Eight offers for Van de Beek
According to sources consulted by this newspaper, the 22-year-old midfielder has already had eight offers from top European clubs, among them the one from Real Madrid. Van de Beek and his inner circle have however expressed reservations about a move to Madrid because it's not clear he would be a guaranteed starter under Zidane, something several other clubs are offering. Modric, Kroos and Casemiro have been fixtures in the side over the past few years and it's not clear Van de Beek would get straight in.
The player has however done his homework and discussed Real Madrid in depth with Sneijder, who was at the Bernabéu from 2007 to 2009, when the two were on holiday at the same time in Ibiza recently.
Real Madrid's Plan C
From Real Madrid's point of view, Van de Beek would be the cheapest option for the midfield. Man Utd have said that Pogba is non-transferable (meaning in reality an eye-watering price), while Tottenham are determined to get close to €100 million for Eriksen, even though he's only got a year left on his contract. Ajax on the other hand accept their condition as a selling club, as they've shown this summer.
While the Dutch club have their coffers full to the brim after selling De Jong (€86 million to Barça) and are about to bank close to €70 million for De Ligt, the Ajax philosophy is not to try and hold onto players who want to progress their careers away from the club. Van de Beek would likely be valued at somewhere between 50 and 60 million, making him the cheapest option for Madrid. However, the operation will depend on what happens with Pogba and if Van de Beek is willing to wait to see how the transfer saga with the Frenchman plays out, knowing he's really Madrid's third option.