Former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has opened up on a £50 million transfer he feels sealed his fate at Old Trafford.
Donny van de Beek’s tenure at Manchester United from 2020 to 2024 was marked by high expectations that ultimately went unfulfilled.
He was signed from Ajax for £34.6 million under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and made an immediate impact by scoring on his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace. However, he struggled to secure a regular starting position, making only 62 appearances and scoring two goals over four years.
His time at United was further hampered by injuries and limited opportunities, even under former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, who often opted to start Bruno Fernandes over the former Netherlands international.
Loan spells at Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt offered little respite, as he faced challenges in form and fitness. In July 2024, Van de Beek transferred to Girona for a modest £500,000 fee, seeking a fresh start and more consistent playing time.
Van de Beek opens up on lack of game time at United
When Van de Beek put pen to paper on his five-year contract in 2020, many thought he was set to take the next step and become a regular starter under Solskjær and a pivotal part of United’s rebuild – but this was never the case.
Only 21 of his 62 appearances across four seasons were starts, and despite his numerous injuries sustained while at Old Trafford, the Dutchman has stated he feels he deserved more chances than he got.
“I think I deserved more chances, especially in my first year,” Van de Beek explained in an interview with SportBible. “I didn’t play all the time, but when I did, I had some good games. I was convinced I would get more opportunities. I felt good, and thought, ‘Okay, my time will come’ but for some reason, it didn’t happen.
“It was tough because sometimes you want more chances, but it’s not always in your hands. That’s how football is — some coaches give you more opportunities, others don’t.
“Looking back, I can say I gave everything in those years. I really tried to break into the team. I was convinced I could do it. I was confident I had the quality and ability to show something, but it just didn’t work out.”
Continuing, he said: “After a year or two, it gets harder because if you don’t get a longer run of games, then it’s difficult to prove yourself. When you first arrive, you might get more chances, but that never happened for me. I always hoped to have a run of games, but I never really got that.”
The £50m move that confirmed his United career was over
After Solskjær was sacked from his post and Ten Hag took his place, many thought the midfielder would finally be given the chances he deserved at the club, with the Dutch manager the one who got the best out of him at Ajax.
In 2023, he made three starts in a row for the first time in his United career. But a horror challenge from Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi in January ruled him out for the season. Van de Beek has admitted that once United brought new players in that summer, he knew his career at the club was over.
“The only run of games I got was before my knee injury — maybe three or four games,” Van de Beek says. “Then there was a bad tackle against Bournemouth at home, which ruled me out for the rest of the season.
“After that, new players came in the summer, so it was tough to get back in. That was a key moment for me — if I’d stayed fit, maybe things would have been different, who knows? It’s all ‘ifs’ — we’ll never know.”
Looking back at the summer of 2023, United’s main midfield reinforcement was the £50 million purchase of Mason Mount from Chelsea. The English player very much took up Van de Beek’s space in the squad.
However, Mount himself has also struggled with injuries and game time, which may lead some to conclude that United may have been better off sticking with Van de Beek, although new head coach Rúben Amorim has been keen to state how happy he is to have Mount in his squad.
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