Why Van de Beek was scared of move to LaLiga leaders

Robin Bairner

• 22 Dec 2023 08:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Donny van de Beek will complete a loan move from Manchester United to Eintracht Frankfurt imminently, but the Netherlands international could have had a very different future in January.

Van de Beek was a much-wanted player in the summer, but after another six months effectively frozen out of the first-team picture at Old Trafford, the demand for the 26-year-old was far smaller approaching the January transfer window.

Frankfurt, however, faced some competition in the form of surprise LaLiga leaders Girona but, according to Cadena SER, Van de Beek turned down the prospect of moving to a club that is a sister team of Manchester City.

According to the report, a deal was close only for it to break down as Van de Beek, whose contract runs until 2025, was fearful that he could find the same type of problem at Girona that he currently faces at Man Utd.

One of the driving forces behind his decision to leave Old Trafford is a desire to gain first-team football, and it is stated that at Girona he was concerned that he would not play enough football.

There were also rumours of potential interest from Barcelona, who have admitted that they are seeking a midfield reinforcement in January as a replacement for the long-term injured Gavi.

Romano confirms Van de Beek move

Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, indicates that Van de Beek’s loan move to Frankfurt should be completed swiftly.

Taking to X, he said: “Donny van de Beek to Eintracht Frankfurt will be announced soon. He will be officially available starting from January 1.

“€11m plus €4m add-ons buy option clause, confirmed — and not mandatory.”

Van de Beek has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of only €7 million, which is down from a peak of €39m shortly after he joined Man Utd.

His time at Old Trafford has been disrupted by injury and loss of form, and it appears that his loan to Eintracht Frankfurt will finally signal the end of his difficult time since leaving Ajax in 2020.