*This post was written in mid-December 2021, at time of writing all facts and statistics used were the most up to date possible.*

The Situation

Donny Van De Beek arrived at Manchester United on the 2nd of September 2020, and upon his arrival, was sent with a message from the legendary former United keeper and now Ajax CEO, Edwin Van Der Sar stating “Please take good care of our Donny, and help him dream”. With this seal of approval from a United legend, and with the Dutch midfielder having a great season in 2019-2020 including some solid European performances, optimism was sky high for the arrival of this versatile midfielder who could challenge Bruno Fernandes for his place in a no.10 role, give Pogba a rocket up his backside for his place at no.8 or even replace the often questioned Fred at no.6. With all the buzz, excitement and optimism, it appeared to be a sign of good things to come at Old Trafford after so many years of transition and failed transfers reaching over half a billion in the past 5-10 years. Things didn’t quite go that way however…

One thing became clear quite quickly upon his arrival in Manchester, and that was that this was perhaps not a signing made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer himself, and had the strong whiff of involvement from the higher-ups at the club. At around £35,000,000 it’s hard to imagine a club making these decisions without the approval of the manager or coaching staff, however this is the way Manchester United have operated post-Fergie. So, with the fan optimism at a real high, and the manager not feeling the need for another no.10 or no.8 midfielder, and preferring the likes of Fred and McTominay in the holding midfield roles, Donny struggled from the outset and really has ever since at the club, with messages inside the club being incredibly positive about the Dutchman, from impressive training performances, his work on fitness and bulking over summer, his positive attitude and overall clear talent, potential and determination, it seems baffling that he has played only 1,817 minutes of football (to-date) and in two seasons where United have played near to 100 games, he has only featured in 48, with many of these appearances being last-minute substitution cameo’s or even bench warming.

As the pressure grew on Ole, Donny’s situation was a huge question looming over the manager, and although again everyone remained positive on the face of it, with Ole saying his time would come and he’s working hard, and Donny being ready willing and able to play at any opportunity, the frustrations have grown from both the player, fans and inside the club at the lack of opportunity given to the likes of Donny Van De Beek. The moments of frustration have crept out of the woodwork, with the player spitting out his gum in anger after Ole made his final change in a midweek Champions League tie, when suggestions had been made of the no.34’s involvement. Additionally, rumour of a change in agent/representation from Donny gave an inclination that a January move may be on the cards after there had been rumour of a summer transfer falling through to Everton a few months prior. Finally, inside sources have been quite brutal in their reporting of discontent within the dressing room at the lack of rotation and opportunity for many players who have been given promises of playing time. All these things have piled on the pressure resulting in poor performances, and ultimately the removal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager of Manchester United.

Now, with Ralf Rangnick entering the club as temporary manager ’till the end of the season, and then moving to a director/advisor capacity, things are already looking different at Manchester United, and in particular with Donny Van De Beek’s future. In just a few weeks, Donny has had more playing time, more opportunity and generally a better outlook of a future at the club, even with Rangnick going on record to say that VDB will not be leaving in January as he has been impressed so far with training performances. Although, in his few appearances he has yet to blow anyone away, being given the reward for his work off-field is clear proof of a manager who now wants to rotate and include everyone in his plans to evaluate and make bigger decisions in the summer months when a new managerial appointment is made. Rangnick is quite clear in what he asks from players, effort, energy, pressing and attack-minded, and all the things I have seen from Donny on the pitch, and things I have read and heard about off-field mean he is an almost perfect fit for the new and improved United, and with United moving to a 4-2-2-2 formation, the room for a player like VDB who can play the holding role or attacking role, is increasing, and now Donny needs to prove himself as he has waited to do for so long.

So, why do we need to talk about Donny Van De Beek? Well, because the 23 year old is a gem of a talent, and has an attitude and play style that Manchester United are crying out for. The Ajax ideologies are one of the most well-respected in world football, and Donny has the mentality and versatility from his time at Ajax that makes him a player that fans already are behind, and now we might be able to see if he can take his chances in the Premier League.

The Stats

We have briefly touched on the playing statistics of VDB, however we should try and add more context to them. So, at Manchester United, in his year and a half, the midfielder has 1,817 minutes of game time, and a total of 48 appearances, however in that time, Manchester United have played a total of 84 games, meaning that he has only been involved in 57% of all possible games since his arrival, and managed just 24% of potential game time, highlighting his cameo usage which as a still developing 23 year old, is not enough when he should be able to be reaching his peak and really gaining experience on-field rather than as a side-line player. In his time at United, he has managed just 2 goals and 2 assists, which admittedly shows how he isn’t quite doing enough to warrant his place, however when we again add context of lack of opportunity and chances to impress and get involved, along with his misuse in various roles and positions, the attacking midfielder we saw at Ajax is not quite what is expected at United, instead and most often being utilised as a holding midfielder. Additionally, he is not alone in struggling to grab goals and assists, with another major signing Jadon Sancho also struggling to get to his past level. This would again indicate United are not creating the opportunity and chances generally which he would have had at Ajax, and Sancho had at Dortmund.

If you are wanting to know and see what could come from VDB, then look no further than his Ajax statistics, which make incredible reading. Now, with a fairly obvious understanding that Ajax and Manchester United are at different levels of their domestic football and abilities, with Ajax dominating the league year after year, and United dropping significantly in their placing, however the numbers still make amazing reading no matter the league or club. So, in his time at Ajax, he managed 175 appearances, playing 12,347 minutes, he netted 41 goals and made 34 assists. A total of 75 goal involvements from 175 appearances is remarkable for his position, and makes similar reading to the likes of Bruno Fernandes, and shows why United were so keen to bring him into their squad.

So, with the stats showing the big issues, where does the 23 year old midfielder go from here?

The Solution

There are 3 potential solutions for Donny Van De Beek to take from this point, and I personally know which I would prefer to see, however with all bias aside I must give the options as I see them.

Firstly, he stays at Manchester United, and keeps working hard and taking the opportunities that arise. This is the option I would like to see, as I can see the potential from VDB, and working with Rangnick and possibly even Ten Hag in the near future, he could easily fly up the pecking order and become a regular in the first team. In a similar vein to Sancho, sticking it out and working hard will reap the rewards to the highest possible manner, as when things start to click for Donny at Manchester, everything will be brilliant. United are still in transition currently, however with the change in management and structure, this transition has been sped up massively. If the Dutchman can find his place in the new world at United, then he could be a leading figure to start challenging for titles and trophies in the next year or two (or 3).

The second option, is that he takes the loan move in January to get serious game time in the Premier League and really establish his abilities and potential in England. Many suitors have lined themselves up for the midfielder to join on a short-term loan deal, with Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham and a few others being rumoured. This would be a good move for the short-term as it will allow VDB to really get game time under his belt, and get first team football, which is what he seems to want and need. However, long term, this would not be a wise move, as to leave United now for a period of at least 6 months, means he would not be given the chance to show himself to Rangnick, and although he will only be in the dugout for the next few months, his influence and thoughts on each player will feature heavily under the new manager whoever it may be. Therefore, by ‘wanting out’ now, he may be looked upon negatively when the big summer decisions are made.

Finally, the biggest decision and solution he could make is a permanent move. There’s no denying he could pretty much move to any club he wishes, with most top European clubs being willing to take a cut-price deal for a young talented player, and many clubs could do with a player like him. This would likely see him move elsewhere in Europe, and possibly even back to Ajax who will surely be top of the list of suitors if the move comes up. It will be terrible business for United and a real shame on a personal level for Donny, but sometimes football can hurt, and so if things still don’t work out, it’s better to let a talented player like him show his skills elsewhere than stagnate and miss out on the potential he has stuck at a club where it’s not working.

Whatever happens, Donny Van De Beek will become a superstar midfielder, you have my word. It’s just a case of whether Manchester United can capitalise on the footballer they have at their disposal, or if he becomes another talent to shine outside of Manchester.