According to reports, Leicester City have expressed interest in signing Manchester United midfielder, Donny van de Beek. Having struggled to feature under three managers at Old Trafford, the Dutchman could finally exit the club over the coming transfer windows.
Struggling to cement his place in the starting line-up, Van de Beek has registered only five Premier League starts for the Red Devils since his move in 2020 (stats via Transfermarkt), whilst having spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton owing to the lack of game-time at Old Trafford.
The Dutch midfielder made his first start of the 2022-23 season in last weekend’s 3-1 loss to Aston Villa. Although the 25-year-old was recovering from a muscle injury sustained in September, he only managed 19 league minutes on the pitch when fit before last Sunday. Moreover, with the arrivals of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro this summer, opportunities to stake a claim for a place in the starting line-up under Erik ten Hag seem bleak.
According to a report by ESPN, Leicester City are said to be amongst several teams interested in signing Donny van de Beek. The report stated that the Foxes are looking to sign the player in the upcoming transfer window, be it on loan or a permanent move.
Meanwhile, French news outlet Jeuneus Footeux (via Man Utd News) reported last month that Leicester would be attempting to sign Van de Beek in the January window. They are reportedly preparing a loan move with a £13m (€15m) option-to-buy proposal for the player. Expected to lose midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer next summer, signing the Dutchman could be very vital for the Foxes.
The Manchester club are said to be wanting ‘some kind of return’ on their £40m investment in the player made back in 2020, although for now, the 25-year-old remains contracted with the Red Devils until 2024 with the option of an extended year. Nevertheless, a loan deal alongside an appropriate buy clause could tempt United in selling Van de Beek, but Leicester would need to pay higher than £13m.
Leicester 'hopeful' of €15m Van de Beek deal #mufc https://t.co/NkQkyBvCXp pic.twitter.com/03GV0EhyHm
— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) October 11, 2022
Having failed to secure a first-team place, the Dutch international’s future continues to remain uncertain although Ten Hag insists the player will be granted opportunities when fit. Speaking about the midfielder’s first-team chances, the manager stated that the player, despite having the capability, needs to prove himself and impress in training, whilst ensuring that the coaching staff will create adequate conditions for the player to perform on the pitch.
However, having continued struggling to stake a claim for a starting spot, the Dutchman failed to make the national team squad for the upcoming World Cup in November this year, whilst also being expected to remain out of contention at United after he recovers from injury.
According to Transfermarkt, winger Daniel James accounts for a superior amount of Premier League minutes (128) when compared to Van de Beek (88) since the start of last season. The Welshman has since moved to Leeds United last season and joined Fulham on loan this summer.
Moreover, having registered only 22 starts in 57 appearances for Manchester United, the Dutch midfielder remains in need of a fresh start unless he sees a change in his fortunes at Old Trafford over the coming weeks.
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Having witnessed his career stagnate at United, the midfielder is likely to seek first-team opportunities elsewhere provided he fails to gain regular game-time at the Theatre of Dreams over the course of the current campaign. Although the midfielder’s future seemed to take a positive turn following the appointment of Ten Hag as manager, he continues to remain out of favour at United, hitherto.
Challenging to envisage a fruitful career for Van de Beek at United, it remains to be seen if the midfielder retains the manager’s trust or will be allowed to seek a future away from Old Trafford over the coming transfer windows.
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