Erik ten Hag has told Donny van de Beek that he should either leave Manchester United for good or stay and fight for his place, rather than seek to go on loan.
Van de Beek spent the second half of last season on loan from Manchester United after failing to make an impact in his first few seasons with the club.
Everton took the midfielder for six months, but he could not make a positive contribution there either. Therefore, he returned to Man Utd.
There was a feeling that the appointment of his former Ajax boss Ten Hag could open up a second chance for him in Manchester. Unfortunately, that has not been entirely the case.
Van de Beek is still struggling to be a starter – he has only made one in the Premier League this season – and to produce the necessary performance when he is on the pitch. It might be time for Man Utd to think about getting rid of him again.
Has been tips on moving to leicesterfor instance.
Despite being under contract until 2025, Ten Hag has told Van de Beek that he should not ask for another loan outing, but rather a permanent one if he is not going to improve his game.
Ten Hag told reporters: “I don’t think the loan makes sense. Either he fights and proves himself in this environment or he leaves, but for me, there is still a path for him.
“But it’s not going to be easy for him because the competition there is very strong.”
Ten Hag addresses Donny van de Beek’s concern
Asked if the Dutchman just doesn’t suit the Premier League, he added: “I see the opinion, but when I see the performance at Sociedad and also at Villa, he is there in the positions that I hope he has to make a 10.” And nowadays, it’s hard for a 10 to really show itself.
“We have the romantic idea of 10 as a midfielder giving the last passes, which have to be played in the middle of the field. But there it is difficult because nowadays all the good teams close the midfield, so it is really difficult to get a lot of touches on the ball.
“So that’s not the player that Donny van de Beek is either, but what he’s doing well is his positioning and his movement along with the forwards, especially with the number 9, that combination, he’s really good at positioning and anticipation in and out of possession, he did it to my satisfaction in the last few games.
“But I have seen that he is not on the scoring list, he is not on the assist list and he can do better. It’s not at its limits yet, I’ve seen it better in the past, definitely. But I think as far as positioning, he’s doing pretty well.
“But he has to take that step with pace and intensity.”
Van de Beek has made 57 appearances for Man Utd during his time with the club overall. We will have to see how many more he will have to add.
However, at 25, and having missed out on a place in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad, he will surely be eager to get his career back on track. Maybe that will take you elsewhere.
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