Man Utd transfer to watch: Amorim shouldn’t sleep on Van Dijk 2.0

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 10 Sep 2025 10:59 CDT
• 12 min read

Analysis

Manchester United may have cleared up their striking issues in the summer transfer window, but there are still many more areas of the squad for Ruben Amorim to fix, with a new centre-back liable to be on the club’s shopping list in the year ahead.

While various possibilities will be examined over the course of the season ahead, one name that should appear on the club’s scouting shortlist is Sam Beukema.

The Dutch centre-back may be uncapped, but with an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €32 million is a player worth exploring, despite having only recently moved to Napoli from Bologna.

Current ETV

Sam Beukema

D (C)

Napoli

Sam Beukema

D (C)

Napoli

€32.1M

ETV Range

€28.9M - €35.3M

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His lack of international recognition is no slight. After all, the Netherlands is going through a golden age of central defenders, with the likes of Dean Huijsen, Micky van de Ven and Man Utd’s very own Matthijs de Ligt among those ahead of him in the pecking order.

And then there is also Virgil van Dijk, a player whose career Beukema can draw inspiration from.

Although Van Dijk will go down as one of the greatest Premier League defenders in history, it’s easy to forget that he was actually a relatively late bloomer. He was 26 years old before he completed his career-defining move to Liverpool – the same age that Beukema is now.

The Dutchman was able to use that platform to develop into one of the finest centre-backs of his generation. Now Beukema is aiming for his €31m switch to Antonio Conte’s side to provide similar impetus.

Beukema a promising late bloomer... like Van Dijk

SciSports, a renowned data analytics firm, shows there are similarities in the style of the two players. Both are central defenders who enjoy having the ball at their feet but are also capable of winning possession, too. While Van Dijk is more of a stopper, this is a quality developed in the latter part of his career following his ACL injury. It is a skill that can, therefore, be refined.

He is given a SciSkill rating of 102, which is better than any current Man Utd centre-back. Furthermore, this could potentially rise to 108, which, for the sake of comparison, is the level of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.

Career skill progression: Beukema vs Van Dijk

Playing style comparison: Beukema vs Van Dijk

Beukema has made a quiet entrance at Napoli, starting on the bench in each of the two Serie A rounds to date, but as the fourth-biggest signing anywhere in Italy’s top-flight, he is sure to get his opportunities.

What may appear to be a leftfield move now is worth tracking in the year ahead.

Having slept on the comparatively unheralded Van Dijk in 2017 by signing Victor Lindelof over him, United will not want to make the same mistake again.