Van de Beek’s reaction to January switch revealed as deal confirmed

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 18 Dec 2023 09:27 GMT
• 3 min read

Donny van de Beek’s loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt has been confirmed and the Netherlands international is looking forward to the opportunity to playing away from Manchester United after several difficult months at the Old Trafford side.

Van de Beek was on the bench as the Red Devils played out a scoreless draw with Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday. It is a role that he has become familiar with this season, in which he has mustered just two minutes of league action.

The 26-year-old former Ajax star has now confirmed to pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft that he will be leaving to Eintracht on loan and how he feels about the move.

Fjortoft took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain: “Had a quick chat with Donny van de Beek in the corridors of Anfield tonight.

“I told him what a great club Eintracht is, the good people in and around the club and told him he will love it there.

“He is excited about it! He’s travelling there tomorrow [Monday] it seems!! Please give him a great welcome, friends.”

Van de Beek's final days at Man Utd

It is unclear if Van de Beek is heading out to Germany to finalise his loan or simply gain a greater understanding of the project, but there are still three Man Utd matches that he could be used for before the January transfer window opens.

The Red Devils face a difficult trip to West Ham next Saturday before hosting Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Their final match of the year is a clash with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Van de Beek, whose contract at Man Utd expires in June 2025, is hoping to play regular first-team football again and, ideally, force himself into the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024.

While there appears no way back for him at Old Trafford, United will want the player’s transfer value to inflate ahead of the summer. His lack of action means his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has dropped to €6.8 million, having once reached as high as €55m.

According to a previous report from Fabrizio Romano, Eintracht Frankfurt have agreed a purchase price of €15m for Van de Beek with Man Utd should his loan be successful, although claims in Germany suggest the figure could actually be substantially smaller.