Van de Beek’s Man Utd shirt number confirmed as he completes move from Ajax

Manchester United have confirmed that Donny van de Beek will wear the No.34 shirt after he completed his £40m move from Ajax on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder put pen to paper on a five-year deal, with the option of an extra 12 months.

Upon joining he said: “I cannot begin to explain how incredible an opportunity it is to join a club with such an amazing history. I would like to thank everyone at Ajax, I grew up there and I will always have a special bond with the club.

“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.”

He is unable to keep the No.6 shirt he wore for Ajax at United with Paul Pogba currently occupying the squad number.

But he will now don the 34 in an emotional tribute to his former academy team-mate Abdelhak Nouri.

Nouri and Van de Beek rose through the ranks as children together at Ajax before Nouri tragically collapsed during a friendly in the summer of 2017 and suffered severe brain damage.

Van de Beek has previously been open about how the tragedy impacted him and the close bond he still holds with Nouri, who requires around the clock care.

And he also revealed the significance of the No.34, which will take special meaning when he wears it for Manchester United.

In an interview with De Telegraaf last year, Van de Beek said: “Appie was so smart, you know?

Will Van de Beek prove to be smart business for Man Utd? Have your say below.

Sign up for the brilliant new Mirror Football newsletter!

From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox.

Put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions on this link.

“He just joined the first team and we sat next to each other in the dressing room at De Toekomst. ‘I’m going to ask for shirt number 34, because the 34th title, we’re going to make that happen’, he said.

“After his cardiac arrest I kept thinking about his words and I was certain that I wasn’t going to leave Ajax until we had won a championship. I had to get that 34th championship.

“We all played for Appie too. I longed for this championship so much.”