Madrid, Barca or Juve? Five potential January destinations for Van de Beek

Robin Bairner

• 18 Nov 2021 11:45 CST
• 4 min read

As Sir Alex Ferguson used to say, Manchester United and Donny Van de Beek are entering the “squeaky-bum” time and a decision over the player’s future will surely be made ahead of the January window.

The former Ajax star has been more or less ostracized by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford and with the club looking to make some big signings to get their season back on track, selling the troubled midfielder seems like an obvious solution.

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Since making the move to the club in 2020, Van de Beek has managed just 44 starts for Man Utd and has averaged just 24 minutes per appearance for Solskjaer’s side.

As such, he’ll likely be heading off as soon as possible. But where will the Man Utd player end up?

Everton

Everton are a side that hunted Van de Beek in the summer and came very close to signing him. Indeed, the only reason that the Dutchman remains at Man Utd is because Solskjaer persuaded him to stay with the club.

The Toffees may not have cash to spend, but a loan deal could suit all parties. Man Utd, after all, could get a greater fee for the player should he succeed at Goodison Park in a style similar to Jesse Lingard’s excellent West Ham loan last season.

With Rafael Benitez getting the most out of his team at the moment, this appears a good option, in the short term, at least.

Real Madrid

The Spanish giants may have only signed Eduardo Camavinga in the summer but further midfield investment may be needed to keep Carlo Ancelotti's side from faltering in the second half of the season.

According to sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, Madrid haven't been offered the oportunity to sign Van de Beek just yet, but are certainly one of the many interested parties going into the January window.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 18, 2021

Juventus

Juventus have been linked with a move for Van de Beek by Calciomercato, pointing out that they were interested in the player in 2019, a year before he left Ajax for Man Utd.

Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni is regarded as their first choice in the centre of the field, but Van de Beek could offer a cheap alternative for a team strapped for cash.

Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is a friend of Van de Beek’s and could be leverage to get him to leave Man Utd for Juventus.

Inter

Another option in Serie A are the champions Inter, yet their cash-strapped status means that there is no guarantee they could afford a move.

Indeed, it is suggested that they may only be interested in a loan deal with a right to purchase. This is unlikely to be the type of deal that interests Man Utd while there are cash buyers on the market.

Inter do, however, have the advantage of not being a direct rival to Man Utd.

Barcelona

So signing anyone is a long shot for Barcelona right now given their finances, but Van de Beek is a player doubtless on their radar, not least because of the strong Dutch influence at the club presently.

In order for a deal to even stand a chance of going through, Barca will have to offload players – Aymeric Laporte and Samuel Umtiti are still not wanted by head coach Ronald Koeman – and broker a loan agreement.

The evidence of the summer suggests it is a long shot, and may only be possible if by some miracle Koeman remains in charge. Nevertheless, it should not be discounted entirely.