When the January transfer window began, Donny Van de Beek was right up there with the Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard as the players who were most likely to leave. With just under a week left before deadline day, things are finally happening with all three.
Once again, United has left it very late in doing their transfer business- shocking! This window MUFC have been the opposite of Newcastle United, who really hit the ground running on the transfer market. Van de Beek, being targeted by two teams, could see a loan move realized soon.
Excl. Crystal Palace and Valencia have both asked for Van de Beek on loan. Donny wants to play, Ragnick reluctant to let him go but Palace will push ??? #MUFC
Man Utd are not accepting any loan with buy option proposal – they want Van de Beek to be in the team for season 22/23. pic.twitter.com/Uy4sXyDKzp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 25, 2022
The tweet above is from journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who indicates that “here we go” time may not be too far off. Van de Beek, 24, moved from Ajax on an initial £34.7m in August of 2020, but his lack of playing time has been the source of comedy.
Neither Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who signed him, nor Ralf Rangnick, the current interim manager, has given him regular opportunities to play. While he is supposedly considered to be a part of the club’s future, one has to wonder when they will start treating him as such.
When he does play (he did feature in all three matches when Michael Carrick was the temporary boss) they are bench appearances, not first team football.
A transfer window is about a whole lot more than just buying new players. It’s also about offloading your excess fringe players, and getting the best return for doing so. Hopefully, Van de Beek gets his chance to play regularly again, as that would be best for all involved.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.