Man Utd could offer Van de Beek in swap deal for Bennacer
FT Desk
- 19 Jul 2022 18:45 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are ready to offer up Donny van de Beek to Milan in the hope of tempting the Serie A champions to sell one of their midfield aces.
Van de Beek has endured two unhappy seasons at Old Trafford, failing to ever hold down a regular first-team spot even as United have struggled to impress on the pitch.
The midfielder may have hoped his fortunes were due to change with the arrival of Erik ten Hag, under whom he blossomed as a youngster with Ajax prior to his United move.
Related articles
But he may not get the chance to show his old mentor what he can do, as reports link him with an imminent switch to San Siro.
CalcioMercato claims that the 25-year-old will be included in United's offer for Milan and Algeria star Ismael Bennacer.
The former Arsenal youngster has thrived since joining the Rossoneri from Empoli in 2019 and would add much-needed depth in the Red Devils engine room, depleted since the exit of Paul Pogba on a free transfer to Juventus.
Bennacer, however, will not come cheap for Ten Hag and United.
The club will have to pay at least €45 million for his services, though they hope that the inclusion of a player of Van de Beek's quality in the deal will net them a substantial discount in negotiations.
Dutchman wants to prove himself to Ten Hag
Van de Beek nevertheless featured in Tuesday's friendly victory over Crystal Palace, coming off the bench to set up a goal for Marcus Rashford as United prevailed 3-1.
He insists that his past relationship with Ten Hag does not matter, and that it is on the pitch that he intends to prove his worth.
"Of course everyone was saying that because I worked with him at Ajax, but, in the end, you have to play good from yourself and it doesn't make any sense who is the coach," he explained to reporters.
"You have to find your role in the team and, of course, he knows me as a player, but that means nothing.
"I have to show it for myself."
