Donny van de Beek will be beyond frustrated right now with his spell at Manchester United.
Van de Beek has played a total of just five Premier League minutes all season.
It is an outrageous situation considering midfield is Manchester United’s weakest position.
The Dutchman has just two starts in other competitions, in which one he was substituted at half-time.
Van de Beek’s situation is continuing to make headlines as he goes a second international break out of the Netherlands international squad.
You can’t blame him for wanting out
Everton sporting director Marcel Brands told Dutch outlet NOS that their interest in the midfielder was very real.
He said: “At the end of the window, I received a call from his agent; he might be loaned. But it was cancelled, last minute. It is early October, so much can still happen with injuries. United are playing on various fronts, it’s hard to say now.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told Sky Sports he understood Van de Beek’s frustration and urged him to maintain a positive attitude.
But Van de Beek has stayed positive for long enough. He is working hard behind the scenes to try and impress and the opportunities have not yet been forthcoming.
If this situation carries on like this, not a single Manchester United fans will begrudge Van de Beek for seeking an exit, either on loan or permanently.
Don’t give up, yet
Our message to Van de Beek is not to give up just yet. He should invest no time thinking about his future or planning an exit right now. His agent will no doubt look after that anyway.
Van de Beek has to continue to commit 100 per cent of his focus on Manchester United, for now.
United’s midfield is a situation which needs addressing, and consecutive poor performances at home to Aston Villa and Everton should prompt the management team to consider all options and have a drastic re-think.
Fred will not be available for the next match in any case, with the Brazil fixture taking place just 24 hours before United’s Leicester City clash.
Van de Beek should be targeting a place in the side for the upcoming run of tough fixtures in the Premier League and Europa League.
The Dutchman is the type of technical player who could thrive against Atalanta, in comparison to Fred, who is so often wasteful in possession in key areas.
United have crucial matches against the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea over the next 10 games.
All it takes is for Van de Beek to have a decisive, impactful moment in one of these games and his United career could be transformed, with Solskjaer becoming more willing to invest trust in him.
To do that, Van de Beek needs an opportunity, and those have been hard to come by, certainly on a consistent basis. A lack of playing time erodes both sharpness and confidence, which can make it difficult for players when their chances do arrive.
Van de Beek has to shut out the negative thoughts, ignore the noise, and focus on making his Manchester United spell a success over the next few weeks and into December.
And if it doesn’t happen for him, then his future away from the club will be a situation which looks after itself. He need not stress about it yet, he will have plenty of offers.
For now, he should have plenty more to offer Manchester United, and he needs to do everything he can to prove his worth to Solskjaer.
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