Donny van de Beek opens up on just how low his time at Manchester United became

Manchester United’s transfer successes over the past ten seasons have been few and far between, with the club failing to nail down a proper recruitment process.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, very few big-money signings at Old Trafford can be regarded as bonafide successes despite Manchester United spending over £1.6 billion since 2013.

From huge splurges on young stars such as Paul Pogba and Antony to oversized wage packages offered to established superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro, very few signings can be considered as ultimate positives.

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While there are a few exceptions, such as Bruno Fernandes and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for the most part, players have left the club with fans feeling a profound disappointment. A notable example is Donny van de Beek.

The Dutch midfielder joined Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s United from Ajax for an initial fee of £34.6 million in 2020, with fans excited about the prospect of the then-23-year-old playing at the club.

Van de Beek impressed fans in Erik ten Hag’s Ajax team, which made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League and won the Eredivise in 2019, but what ensued at United was a misery time.

After failing to nail down a spot under Solskjær, some thought Ten Hag’s arrival at United would increase his chances. However, he failed to usurp pivotal player Fernandes and embarked on loan to Everton.

He then suffered a three-month injury at Merseyside and then signed on loan with Einchtract Frankfurt the following summer, but played just eight times at the German club.

Eventually, he signed for La Liga side FC Girona for a permanent fee of £500k, rising to £13 million with add-ons, and has made five appearances so far.

Speaking to the media ahead of their Champions League tie against Feyenoord, Van de Beek admitted he almost gave up a football while at Old Trafford but feels fit and ready to continue now that that chapter of his life is behind him.

“I don’t like to talk about the past. I’ve been getting fit and feeling good for a few weeks now. Now I feel in a good moment. I love playing against Feyenoord,” he said, as relayed by Sport Witness.

“I have had many hard knocks in my career. Now, I feel like I’m starting a new stage at a fantastic club. We play very well, and it’s a big challenge for me. I want to keep improving.

“There have been moments when I was about to give up everything, but the family helped me to continue believing in myself. They have convinced me that I have to do what I like, and that fills me up, which is to play football.”

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