It’s time to talk about Donny van de Beek and his future at Manchester United.
Before we speculate on what the summer transfer window has in store for the Dutch midfielder, though, we need to first take a look at his past and what had so many fans excited when United signed Donny van de Beek three years ago.
Incredible 18/19 season
Donny was amazing at Ajax under Erik ten Hag. The 18/19 season, in particular, was the year of Van de Beek at the Johan Cruyff Arena and it saw Donny finish the season with 17 goals and 13 assists across all competitions. He was named in the Eredivisie Team of the Week four times and the Champions League Team of the Week once. He was also instrumental in Ajax’s KNVB Cup campaign, as well, scoring four goals in five matches, including a Man of the Match performance against Heerenveen that saw him score a brace, put in five tackles, and make one interception. Donny’s 18/19 form also saw him finish 28th in the Ballon D’or voting that season.
Can you see why so many United fans were celebrating when we signed him?
Ole’s Folly
After arriving to a fair bit of fanfare, Donny was predominantly used as a late sub and only had four starts in his first season at United. In fact, the Dutchman averaged just 28 minutes per match, with one goal and one assist. It’s anyone’s guess as to why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemed reluctant to give Donny more minutes. Did Ole not want Donny after being heavily linked with Jack Grealish, or did he just not really know how to use him? Ole’s counter attacking system didn’t really get the most out of a player like Donny, whose footballing intelligence allows him to play one-touch interplay in tight spaces and read the game to make runs around the box. Ole also used a 4-2-3-1 formation that saw him play two midfielders in deep positions, which isn’t where Donny excels. Would a better manager have gotten more out of the midfielder, though? It’s hard to say.
Dream debut
Donny made his United debut as a 67th-minute sub, coming on for Paul Pogba against Crystal Palace, who were up 2-0 at that point. Donny’s energy and ability to get into good spaces to pick up the ball caused Palace problems right away, though. In the moments leading up to his goal, Donny took up an advanced position in the box with United in possession outside the area. A ball into the box from Timothy Fosu-Mensah (remember him?) was mishandled by a Palace defender and Donny pounced on the loose ball, passing it into the net at the far post with composure and a solid finish. Donny’s goal dragged United back into the game, but Palace would end up winning 3-1. Not a great day for United, but a brilliant debut for the Dutchman.
Super sub
Donny has also shown himself to be a capable game changer as a sub. Against Newcastle early in the 20/21 season, United found themselves struggling after a Luke Shaw own-goal, a Harry Maguire header from a set piece, a bit of David de Gea heroics, and a missed penalty kick from Bruno Fernandes kept things agonisingly level for the majority of the match. Donny subbed on in the 76th minute and took up a position outside United’s box on a Newcastle set piece. He acted quickly to find the ball after United’s clearance, getting in a soft touch to put it past a defender where he linked up with Bruno with some one-touch play to create space and launch a counter attack that ultimately led to a Marcus Rashford goal a few seconds later. Ironically enough, Donny’s ability to read the match and make an impact as a sub is similar to Ole’s own performances as a United player, which makes it all the more puzzling that the Norwegian manager didn’t utilise Donny more.
A step ahead of his teammates?
I’ve heard it argued that Donny is actually much better than his United teammates–especially the rotation players he often started alongside–at least where vision and football intelligence is concerned. He consistently makes runs, asks for the ball, and puts himself in ideal positions to receive a pass, but his United teammates either don’t see the option, lack the vision, or simply ignore Donny altogether and play safe passes back. Was it a case of Donny’s total football experience at Ajax clashing with Ole’s counter attacking system that favoured long balls to fast attackers or is the Premier League too physical for the Dutchman? I’ve seen it argued both ways.
Everton loan and injury woes
It’s interesting that Donny’s critics will say “well, two managers didn’t pick him,” but then in the same breath criticise those same managers–Ole and Ralf Rangnick–for their clear managerial shortcomings, as if they were so poor in so many areas of management, but somehow spot-on regarding Donny. It was always going to be difficult for Donny to break into the starting eleven with Bruno in the side, though, especially since the Portuguese magnifico never seems to tire, let alone be rested (which is a problem in itself). Donny’s loan spell at Everton in the second half of the 21/22 season–under another heavily-criticised manager in Frank Lampard, by the way–ended in an injury that saw him miss most of the second half of the season. Erik ten Hag arrived at Untied and, being a stickler for fitness (he did bench Cristiano Ronaldo after the striker missed preseason), Donny was eased back into the first team while he recovered. He started against Bournemouth in January and was impressive, linking up well with Christian Eriksen in the final third and fighting for every ball, even at one point taking out two Bournemouth players with a tackle. A loose ball chased down by Donny and Bournemouth defender, Marcos Senesi, though, saw the Argentine centre-back slip before reaching the ball and two-foot Donny, resulting in a season-ending injury that would require surgery and rehabilitation. Unlucky.
Eriksen, Mount, and Donny’s future
In January, we saw that ten Hag wastes little time when it comes to filling in holes in the squad. With Donny needing to recover from the injury he sustained at Everton, ten Hag brought in free signing Eriksen in the summer and then in January, scrambled to bring in loan signing Marcel Sabitzer to accommodate injuries to Eriksen and Donny. Ten Hag also brought in Wout Weghorst on loan in January, following the departure of Ronaldo and the limited funds available to him. What does the high-profile signing of Mason Mount mean for Donny’s United future, however? Ten Hag went all in for Mount and has been a fan of the midfielder since his Vitesse days, even handing the Englishman the esteemed number seven shirt to seal the deal, so he’s clearly a priority for ten Hag. Bruno, Eriksen, Mount, and Donny all play similar positions, so competition for a starting eleven spot is high, but then United played the most matches of any European club last season, so the opportunity for rotation means plenty of minutes to go around, right?
While this season presents an opportunity for a fresh start under ten Hag, it may be a case of too little too late, with reports that United have put Donny up for sale. Rumor has it Donny’s exploring his options, as well, and he’s been linked with several clubs in Europe, including Inter Milan, Roma, AC Milan, Sevilla, Nice, Crystal Palace, Wolves, and Nottingham Forest. Football Insider also reports that Ajax are keen on bringing Donny back to Amsterdam, as well. United are reportedly willing to part with Donny if they receive an offer around the €25 million, which would be a loss on the 40 million they paid for him just three years ago. Whether you’re Donny’s biggest fan or one of the many who are ready to see him moved on, we can all agree that his time at United hasn’t exactly been all bunnies and flowers. Perhaps a move to another club in Europe would be the best option for all parties and offer Van de Beek the fresh start he sorely needs and deserves.
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