Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek has parted ways with United after wasting, I mean spending 😅, four years at the club.
van de Beek joins Spanish club Girona in La Liga on a four-year deal for a mere £420 600 (BBC) although United do say that that fee could rise to £7.66m in additional payments. There is also a sell-on clause. Quite the drop-off from his original fee £37m.
Donny van de Beek joined MUFC in September 2020 after a brilliant spell with Ajax under Erik ten Hag. The midfielder was so good in fact that he was nominated in the 30-man shortlist for the 2019 Ballon d'Or.
However, he had to endure what was a terrible four years of his career in which he made just the 62 appearances for the club scoring just 2 goals one of which was on his debut in the 1-3 defeat at home to Crystal Palace at the start of the 20/21 season.
Donny then had loan spells at Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt before returning to United. It didn't work out for him at either of those clubs with injuries not helping him out as well.
When his former manager Erik ten Hag was appointed, I think many (perhaps even Donny himself) thought that things would turn around for him at MUFC.
That never came to pass as his career continued to go downhill.
Not a period of his career he will remember fondly 😬.
The Dutch midfielder had this to say on his Instagram once his departure was confirmed:
"Dear Manchester United family. Today is a memorable day as my adventure at the club comes to an end. I want to thank you all for your support throughout the years. From the moment we arrived at Manchester United, we felt extremely welcome and we are grateful for that. Thank you to everyone at the club for making us feel at home.
A special thanks to all the fans that made these years unforgettable. Besides the football, the birth of our two children here ensures that Manchester will always have a special place in our hearts. Good luck to everybody, we’ll meet again👹❤️."
Final Thoughts
I always liked Donny. I was excited when we brought him in after having seen what he did for Ajax in THAT campaign.
I feel that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is largely responsible in the player's demise. When looking at those years the Norwegian was in charge, he very rarely used to Donny and instead opted for his favorites McFred which helped the team no end.
van de Beek was a midfielder that we required in our side as he was perfect for that number 8 role as he had a proper understanding of what needed to be done compared to that of Fred and McTominay.
But thanks to that favoritism by Solskjaer, van de Beek never got a fair shot at it. Yes, the player has to take some responsibility as well because when given his (few) opportunities, he didn't always make the most of it. Injuries in the past couple of years also haven't helped the now 27-year-old.
I hope he goes on to revive his career at Girona (who finished 3rd in La Liga last season and will play Champions League football next season) and gets back to the Donny we knew before he joined United.
Go on Donny 👊.
Background image: Donny van de Beek | Image credit: Getty Images via Goal