Here's Donny! £40m signing Van de Beek arrives at Carrington to begin Utd life

Donny van de Beek has arrived at Carrington to begin life as a Manchester United player following his £40m move from Ajax.

The 23-year-old has arrived in England to join up with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men after international duty with Holland and will start getting to know his United team-mates.

United don't begin the Premier League season until September 19 when they host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

And Van de Beek's arrival is a particular cause for excitement with United supporters enthralled at the prospect of him forging a midfield partnership alongside Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.

After featuring for Holland in their defeat against Italy on Monday night, Van de Beek bid a socially distanced farewell to Ajax's most devout supporters outside of the Johan Cruyff Arena.

They serenaded him with songs, held up banners paying tribute and even set off flares. The midfielder was clearly moved by the gesture and he got out of his car and clapped them back as they said their goodbyes.

Van de Beek joined Ajax's academy back in 2008 and went on to become a fan favourite in Amsterdam.

The midfielder, who scored 41 goals and created 34 assists in 175 matches for the club, won the Eredivisie title in 2018-19 while also playing an instrumental role in his side's run to the Champions League semi-finals the same season.

'Donny has all of the technical attributes needed to perform in this team and has the personality required to succeed at Manchester United,' Solskjaer said upon confirming the signing.

'His ability to see space, time his movements and read the game will really complement the qualities that we have in midfield and his arrival really strengthens the depth of talent we have in that position.

'Donny’s performances in the Eredivisie and in Europe have been excellent over the last few years and we are all looking forward to working with him.'

United finished third in the Premier League last season and reached the semi-final of the Europa League before being defeated by eventual winners Sevilla.

'I am now ready to take the next step in my career and perform at the highest level and there is no higher standard than Manchester United,' Van de Beek said.

'Everyone has told me how amazing the Old Trafford atmosphere is and I am looking forward to experiencing that, once it is safe for the fans to return.

'This team has some of the best midfielders in the world and I know that I can learn from them and also bring my own strengths to the group.'