And he's a slightly better version of Lingard too
He has what Lingard does in movement but VDB js more consistent because he has a wider range of capability to him. Lingard once he makes a move out of his comfort zone all he does is open up space to the rest of the forwards.
Van de beek does that but he makes runs to LM, RM, CAM, ST, CM and CDM and he is able to dribble, tackle, shoot, pass and bring others in to play even under pressure of pressing or teams lying back.
They are going to be players that have individually better abilities than VDB, for example Mata's creativity in playing a through ball is always going to be better than VDB's but that's not what VDB'S use is.
When VDB plays, he brings an extra 0.5 of a player to a starting 11. That's because not only does he make runs to a position to an area that his team members always need, but he has made that move before the opposition has realised and could catch him. He makes a run to LM, RM, CaM, striker, CDM and from those positions he is interlink the forwards to the midfield, linking the midfielders with each other and even dropping deep as times to interlink the defence with the midfield. In all those positions he has a good 8/10 to do what's needed, to dribble, cross, pass, move, tackle, shoot etc.
He might be seen by some as a jack of all trades & a master of none- however that isnt exactly a bad thing when all those trades are done with a consistency and a reliability of movement to be where he needs to be all the time.