Man Utd announce first January transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 1 Jan 2024 12:33 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have announced that Donny van de Beek has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season.

In the works for several weeks, Donny van de Beek's loan to Bundesliga side Frankfurt has been officially announced by Man Utd. The Dutchman heads to Germany off the back of a terrible few years at Old Trafford. Hampered by injuries and coaching turnover, Van de Beek never came to grips with life in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old had joined the Red Devils from Ajax in 2020 for €39 million, which was actually a good deal at the time. His then-Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stood at a whopping €51m at the time of the move. Since switching Amsterdam for Manchester, however, things have gone downhill for Van de Beek.

His current ETV is languishing at a measly €6.8 and if Frankfurt decide to make his loan permanent, Man Utd will record a massive loss on the Dutchman. According to Fabrizio Romano, the buy option is €11m with up to €3m in add-ons, while the Eagles will also pay a small loan fee and cover the majority of his wages.

What has been said?

Several weeks ago, Van de Beek revealed that he was looking for a way out of Old Trafford, saying: The time comes when a decision has to be made. I have to start playing games very soon, if it’s not possible at United, then I will go to another club."

Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche said of the midfielder: "Donny van de Beek perfectly fits our way of playing and is an important piece of the puzzle for our team. He boasts plenty of international experience, which will be useful to our young players. Donny is dangerous in the final third and will be tasked above all with creating promising situations for our attackers."

Frankfurt have thus far had an up-and-down campaign under new coach Dino Toppmöller. The Eagles are sixth in the Bundesliga but their form has been more patchy than their position in the table would suggest.