Eredivisie

Overmars hoping for 'positive ending' to uncertainty over Real Madrid target Van de Beek

While former team-mates Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong have chosen to pursue their careers elsewhere, the midfielder's future is still unclear

Ajax director of football Marc Overmars has expressed his hope that the club will enjoy a "positive resolution" to the transfer saga that has enveloped their star midfielder Donny van de Beek.

Van de Beek, 22, was one of the revelations of the European season in 2018-19 as, alongside fellow wonderkids Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, he helped Ajax mark a memorable campaign at home and in continental football.

The Amsterdam side waltzed to Eredivisie glory while their fans were also enthralled by a memorable trip to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were minutes from booking their place in the decider before falling victim to a stirring comeback by Tottenham.

Van de Beek has already seen his two younger team-mates leave the club in the current transfer window, to Juventus and Barcelona respectively.

And the midfielder himself has reportedly attracted interest from Barca's great rivals Real Madrid, who see the Netherlands international as an alternative in the transfer market should they fail to land Paul Pogba from Manchester United.

While Overmars stopped short of ruling out an exit from the club, he did signal his belief that Van de Beek would be lining up for Ajax in 2019-20.

"It won't be long before there's clarity. I've got high hopes that there will be a positive ending," the former Arsenal and Barcelona winger explained to Ziggo Sport.

"I want to have clarity before a certain date. It's irrelevant what date that is, we know what it is... We've got that date and I think we have our house in order."

It has been a busy transfer period for Ajax, with seven players leaving the club to date on permanent transfers and another six entering the club's ranks.

Standard Liege's Romania midfielder Razvan Marin and young Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez are among the new faces that will be lining up for Ajax this season; but Overmars is not expecting others to join.

"The team's there and we are not in the market for other players," he added.

"Yes, I expect Donny van de Beek to stay."

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