Robin van Persie has warned Ajax midfielder, Donny van de Beek, he will have to ‘mentally adjust’ to life at Manchester United compared to the Dutch champions.
Reports this week indicated that the Dutchman is on the verge of a big-money move to Old Trafford, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifying him as a significant target.
The transfer has rapidly picked up pace over the last few days, with the player set to sign a deal work €120,000 a week, according to De Telegraaf.
That will put him among the big earners at Manchester United, with the pressure likely to come quickly as a result.
And that is something Van Persie has warned him about, stating that life with the Red Devils in the Premier League is a ‘completely different world’.
“Donny van de Beek is 23 years old and that is a nice age to make a transfer to the Premier League,” he told De Telegraaf.
“I was a bit younger when I went to Arsenal, and in the locker room, I was considered a player for the future. Winning the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord meant nothing. The Premier League is a completely different world.
“Donny will be brought in as a major purchase from Manchester United, but he will discover that those other 22 players have also been brought in as a ‘major purchase’. One had an even bigger transfer than the other.
“It means that he has to stand there right away and he has to mentally adjust to that. Because Manchester United is in every way a beast of a club.”
One of the biggest adjustments that Van de Beek will have to make will be physically, with it well established that the Premier League is one of, if not the toughest league in the world in that regard.
It’s an issue which many players arriving from more technically focused leagues, such as the Eredivisie, have struggled to deal with over the years.
Van Persie sees no such issues arising for his compatriot, though, believing his experiences in the Champions League will stand him in good stead.
“Physically I don’t foresee any problems for Donny. His walking actions are his biggest weapon,” he added.
“He is also able to play sixty games a year. Easy games just aren’t there anymore. Especially against Fulham or Crystal Palace, you have to play the most. At every duel, even at every throw, those opponents pound on you.
“He has the advantage that he has gained a lot of experience in the last two seasons in Europe.
“The year in which Ajax reached the semi-finals of the Champions League was his big breakthrough.”
