Wolves are reportedly among a host of clubs interested in signing Manchester United flop Donny Van de Beek this summer.
The Netherlands international, 26, joined the Red Devils from Ajax for £40 million in 2020 but has struggled to establish himself in the team under various managers. Under Erik ten Hag, current Manchester United boss and his former coach at Ajax, the midfielder’s fortunes haven’t changed. And it is understood that Ten Hag and decision-makers at Old Trafford have given him the green signal to leave the club.
According to 90min, Wolves are keeping tabs on Donny Van de Beek amid uncertainty over his future at Manchester United.
Van de Beek sustained an injury in January which kept him out for the second half of last season, limiting him to only seven Premier League appearances. Yet, the 26-year-old is wanted by 11 clubs including Wolves, as the Red Devils look to offload the Dutchman to raise extra funds for new players, the report adds.
Donny Van de Beek to Wolves—Good option?
Wolves are yet to sign a new player in the ongoing transfer window, having focused on shipping players out first. Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins and Conor Coady have all departed Molineux to bring some funds for manager Julen Lopetegui to reinvest amidst the club’s crunch financial situation.
After guiding Wolves to safety in the top flight last term, Lopetegui would have at least liked to have a couple of new players on board. However, that hasn’t been the case which is likely to frustrate the Spanish tactician, but with pre-season commencing soon, Wolves must act swiftly.
The Wanderers have been linked with a move for Man United midfielder Donny Van de Beek. At the time of his move to United three summers ago, Van de Beek was one of the most promising creative midfielders in Europe. He was excellent at Ajax and helped the club reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. However, the Dutchman’s career has really stalled at Old Trafford, with him managing just 60 appearances for the club.
Van de Beek has never been able to establish a foothold in United’s first XI, and after the arrival of Mason Mount from Chelsea last month, the Mancunian giants are ready to offload him. And the Netherlands international could become a good fit under Lopetegui at Wolves.
Safe to say, the 26-year-old hasn’t really been given a proper chance at United—something he is likely to get at Wolves if a deal goes through. Primarily a No.10, Van de Beek can also operate as a box-to-box midfielder and dictate games from a deeper role. He is technically excellent and tactically smart, and Lopetegui may prove to be the right manager to get the best out of the ex-Ajax star.
There’s no denying Van de Beek’s quality on and off the ball, but having failed to show his true potential in England so far, he will be a risk for Wolves. Nonetheless, Wolves must take a gamble on the player.
