Manchester United cut losses with Donny van de Beek during the summer, selling him on to Girona for a real bargain fee.
Now, just a few months into life playing in Spain, the Dutchman is already enjoying success which more than justifies his decision to make the move after four damaging seasons.
Manchester United managed to find Donny van de Beek a move, as he switched to Girona for an upfront fee of just £500k.
This fee could then rise up towards roughly £7.5m which would be a great deal should United pull it off – although after being away from Old Trafford for just a few months, already the 27-year-old is showing signs of the player we thought he was.
Now, he has been back among the goals for the first time since 2022 in a Premier League concluded for Everton – where he spent time on loan.
Donny van de Beek shines for Girona
Up against Dutch opposition, Van de Beek showcased his mastery of Dutch football and was arguably the best player on the pitch on Wednesday night – despite Girona coming up short against Feyenoord in a 3-2 loss.
Van de Beek struck in the 73rd minute with a right-footed shot which tied things up at the time at 2-2.
After years of misery and struggles at Old Trafford, we are delighted to see Van de Beek reigniting his career and with his first goal since 2022, he may have done just that.
Van de Beek vs Feyenoord
| Stat | Vs. Feyenoord |
| Minutes | 82 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Passing | 19/21 (90%) |
| Touches | 33 |
| Defensvie actions | 3 |
| Duels won | Defensive actions |
This is a trademark Van de Beek performance and one which we had become accustomed to seeing him put in for Ajax – although he is now doing it for Girona.
Having admitted he almost gave up on football at United, this is a great thing to see and we hope he continues to shine.
Van de Beek could highlight Erik ten Hag’s failures at Manchester United
Erik ten Hag is under serious pressure right now at United, and Van de Beek beginning to shine elsewhere is yet another mark against him considering he of all people should have been able to get the best from the Dutch midfielder.
With the pair working together at Ajax, many believed that upon Ten Hag’s appointment at United back in 2022 there could be a career resurgence for Van de Beek.
That being said, Ten Hag never managed to get a good performance from Van de Beek, despite all of his industrialism on the pitch.
This therefore is potentially yet another sign of the struggles the current United manager has, as he is struggling to get the best out of even players he knows very well.
While Van de Beek had to go for his own good, his performances in Girona so far have proven Ten Hag wrong – as he’s shown he should have been used more often and better at United.
It was a Van de Beek goal which saw the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, could history repeat itself later this week?
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