Expect a formal announcement on the future of Donny van de Beek imminently. Sky Sports report he has agreed to sign for Everton on loan.
The Mail report United will received £500,000 on loan and Everton will pay all of his £100,000 per week wages. There is no option to buy as part of the deal.
So let’s get into it. Is this a good move for Van de Beek, and what do United have to lose?
Van de Beek needs regular football
It is truly ridiculous Van de Beek has played just 69 minutes of Premier League football this season and has had no starts. Dan James has played more league minutes for United this season and he was sold in August.
With Paul Pogba out, United still chose not to play the Dutchman, and he is almost back from injury. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has backed up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by deeming Van de Beek not good enough to start regularly.
The problem he has faced is that in his rare opportunities, it has been tough to impress. It was the same for Diogo Dalot early in the season. Now with regular starts, Dalot is shining. It’s a real shame Van de Beek has not been given a real run.
United may look silly
Van de Beek started in pre-season against Everton in central midfield and looked good in the win. This unfortunately did not earn him opportunities.
The Dutchman has an opportunity to make Manchester United look really silly, if he can star at Everton and live up to his potential, it will ask serious questions of both Solskjaer and Rangnick.
For United, this is a risk worth taking. If the manager does not feel comfortable using United games to take a look at Van de Beek in the Premier League, they can do so from afar. Think of it as a test run.
Even if United do look silly, ultimately they will come out as winners, with Van de Beek coming back as a proven success in the Premier League and ready to make an impact next season.
Alternatively, for fans desperate to see what Van de Beek can do, or perhaps see why he isn’t playing regularly, we will get to see what he is capable of, and his limitations. This could help explain why he has not been playing, and at least we will know.
This could be the making of him
Sitting on United’s bench each week losing confidence would be no good for Van de Beek. It’s time for him to use a frustrating 18 months to rebuild during this loan spell.
He should be highly motivated to succeed and prove people wrong, and most importantly, to give a good account of himself.
Van de Beek needs to show he can adapt to the Premier League, having not really been given a chance to properly show it at United. 38 of his total 50 appearances came as a substitute.
He will return to United in the summer, and be potentially managed by his former Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag, or Mauricio Pochettino, who he scored against in a Champions League semi-final. He will be better prepared for pre-season with Premier League football behind him.
United do have the cover
One of the big questions is ‘can United afford to loan Van de Beek out’, with so many other players leaving on loan?
Well, just look at the minutes he has played in the league this season, and you have your answer. Of course the club can continue to function fine without him. Even with Paul Pogba injured, he was not needed.
Juan Mata is still at United until the end of the season and can take his place. Alternatively, his exit creates a spot for Hannibal or Shola Shoretire. Or if Jesse Lingard cannot find a loan move, then his chances may increase between now and May.
One way or another, United do have the cover. It’s a little bit of a juggling act, with Anthony Martial gone, and Mason Greenwood suspended for the foreseeable future, but the point is that United’s squad is so bloated already, that there is still enough cover, and thats why Van de Beek’s chances have been so limited in the first place.
Opportunities at Everton
So what lies ahead for Van de Beek at Everton? He joins a team looking to rebuild, under new manager Frank Lampard.
Lampard operated in the same type of attacking midfield role as Van de Beek as a player and he could view the Dutchman as an essential option.
Everton have an attacking midfield spot they have never really filled properly since James Rodriguez left the club, and there should be plenty of opportunities for the former Ajax star to show what he is capable of.
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