Van de Beek handed PERFECT Man Utd escape, but Ten Hag WON'T be happy
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 13 Aug 2023 20:29 BST
- 4 min read
Donny van de Beek has been heavily linked with a Manchester United exit this summer, but the recent links with former club Ajax will not please Erik ten Hag.
La Liga side Real Sociedad have been exploring a deal for the Dutchman in recent weeks, and have been considered to be his most likely destination, but Ajax have now entered the fray, according to The Sun.
The Amsterdam-based club have spent €32.5 million on new signings this summer - bringing in Carlos Borges (Manchester City), Diant Ramaj (Eintracht Frankfurt), Benjamin Tahirovic (Roma), Jakov Medic (St Pauli) and Branco van de Boomen (Toulouse).
MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
However, the losses of Jurrien Timber and Edson Alvarez haven’t yet been fully addressed in regards to players with similar stylistic profiles to that pair.
But, Ajax are not blessed with money and this may make the rest of their summer plans extremely hard to complete. Furthermore, their lack of funds means they are considering submitting a loan offer for Van de Beek, with the idea of bringing the midfielder back to the club on a one-year loan deal.
That is according to The Sun, who have reported that Ajax are weighing up a loan move for the 26-year-old after missing out on Champions League qualification.
MORE: Amrabat nears Man Utd as Van de Beek interest CONFIRMED
The problem for Man Utd and Ten Hag is that they need to sell in order to fund a move for Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat. The Morocco international, who starred at the 2022 World Cup, is seen as the ideal midfield signing this summer to complement the addition of Mason Mount from Chelsea.
Man Utd need to sell
Having splashed the cash on Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, however, Man Utd need to sell assets in order to bring in Amrabat. As a result, they would like to receive a fee from Van de Beek, rather than loan him out.
Brazilian midfielder Fred has now completed his move to Fenerbahce for a reported €15m, while Alex Telles joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr earlier this window.
Both Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay have been linked to West Ham by multiple media outlets, while Aston Villa have now entered the race for Maguire following Tyrone Mings’ serious ACL injury, as exclusively reported by FootballTransfers.
Van de Beek joined Man Utd in 2020, but has made just 60 appearances for the Red Devils during his three years at the club, including only 23 starts (only six in the Premier League). He was loaned to Everton during the second-half of the 2021-22 season, but spent the majority of his time at Goodison Park ruled out through injury.
His Estimated Transfer Value peaked at €55m in January 2021, after he had joined Man Utd, but has now fallen to just €13.3m after a few seasons of limited minutes.
