When Donny van de Beek moved from Ajax Amsterdam to Manchester United in 2020, he was considered one of the hottest items on the transfer market. In 2019, the now 27-year-old was in the semi-finals of the Champions League and was an essential part of the legendary Ajax squad around Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt. That’s why he was worth 39 million euros to the Red Devils in 2020.
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After signing the midfield star, then United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer raved: “Donny’s performances in the Eredivisie and in Europe have been excellent in recent years and we are all looking forward to working with him.”
But his move to England quickly turned out to be a nightmare. The midfielder hardly got a chance under Solskjaer and often didn’t even make it into the English record champions’ squad.
After Solskjaer’s departure, Manchester United under interim coach Ralf Rangnick pulled the ripcord for the first time. Van de Beek was loaned to Everton FC for half a season in January 2021. But the Dutchman wasn’t really able to impress at the club on Merseyside either. Although van de Beek’s last appearance over 90 minutes came from his time at Everton, he did not become an absolute regular player under the then Toffees coach Frank Lampard.
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Erik ten Hag as a savior?
The next glimmer of hope should soon follow: In the summer of 2022, Erik ten Hag took over Manchester United. The coach under whom van de Beek had his most successful time at Ajax Amsterdam was even on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.
Shortly after his arrival, his new and old coach praised van de Beek highly and promised him a lot of playing time: he could do both, in defensive and offensive midfield. But his best position is because of his skills in the opponent’s penalty area, playing just behind the striker. Ten Hag enthused about van de Beek that he really had a good feeling for being in the right position.
But the joy was only to last for a short time, even under the leadership of his compatriot. The next setback followed at the start of the season: Van de Beek missed a few games at the start of the season due to shingles and was then unable to fight his way into the team. The balance of his first United season under ten Hag: ten appearances, zero goals and zero assists.
The former mega-talent continued to be dogged by injuries. In January 2023, the midfielder tore his lateral ligament. This injury also caused him to miss pre-season preparation for 2023/24.
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The first rumors about a farewell were already heard back then. But for now the Dutchman stayed with the Red Devils. However, the 27-year-old only made two short appearances. In September he was allowed to play a full 19 minutes in the League Cup, and in the Premier League a two-minute appearance against Crystal Palace was the highest of emotions.
Reason enough that the ripcord was finally pulled in January.
Frankfurt as a lifeline?
Van de Beek was loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt. When he arrived in Hesse, the Dutchman was considered Eintracht’s absolute preferred candidate. “Donny van de Beek fits our game idea perfectly and is an important piece of the puzzle for our team,” said Eintracht sports director Markus Krösche at the time about the first signing of the winter transfer period. “He brings a wealth of international experience that our young players will benefit from. Donny exudes a scoring threat and is primarily supposed to put our attackers in promising positions,” Krösche continued.
But the impact on the facts should come quickly. After the long time on the sidelines, van de Beek wasn’t really fit and has only been able to help Eintracht to a limited extent so far. Van de Beek at Eintracht: So far nothing more than a single misunderstanding.
The balance of his time with the Hessians: only eight short appearances in the Bundesliga, not a single game longer than 90 minutes. Additionally, zero goals and zero assists. That’s how it was last Saturday in Munich. Van de Beek came on as a substitute in the 77th minute and he was unable to prevent Frankfurt’s 1-2 defeat at FC Bayern.
What’s next?
Although Eintracht has a purchase option worth eleven million euros, it seems unlikely that van de Beek will stay in Frankfurt. Its market value even fell to seven million euros in March, having once been 44 million euros (Transfermarkt.de).
The Dutchman still has a contract with Manchester United until 2025, meaning he will play there next season, but it also seems ruled out. If the Red Devils don’t let the Dutchman stay at Eintracht Frankfurt, they will probably look for another buyer in the summer. The previous 39 million that was paid for him in 2020 will definitely not be achieved. And the journey for van de Beek is uncertain.
2024-04-29 20:03:32
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