Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has said that it may be in Donny van de Beek’s best interests to depart Old Trafford in search of playing time.

Van van Beek scored on his United debut in 2020 but has struggled to find a regular spot in the team ever since. Despite being reunited with former Ajax manager Ten Hag, the midfielder has only seen 21 minutes of action this season across all competitions.

Ten Hag appears hesitant to stand in the way of Van de Beek’s departure. He said: “I can see he has to play for his career and for everything.”

Van de Beek has already made public his wish to play more often and emphasized that, despite making decent money at United, he now has a “choice” to make.

“I have to start playing matches very soon, if not at Manchester United, then at another club,” he told De Telegraaf last weekend. “I think this is a healthy ambition. I’ve always been an enthusiast. I’m absolutely crazy about football. I earn a good living at Manchester United, but money has never been my motivation. I want to enjoy my work every day.

“Last season I was sidelined for months due to my knee injury. You miss it terribly and appreciate even more that you have a wonderful profession. I am at a legendary club and I am still proud every day to wear the Manchester United shirt. But I’m bursting with energy now that I’m in great shape again and I’m training like crazy. Then the moment comes when you have to make a choice.

“I’m excited to play matches again. The manager now makes different choices. We have a great selection and I’m not the only one knocking on the door. We’ll see what happens in January.”

Van van Beek developed into one of Europe’s top developing young midfielders under Ten Hag at Ajax. The Dutchman was instrumental in Ajax reaching the 2019 Champions League final and was later nominated for the Ballon d’Or as a result of his efforts.

Real Madrid were connected with Van de Beek as a replacement for long-term target Paul Pogba, but he ended up joining Manchester United in a £40 million deal in the summer of 2020. He then started only four Premier League games in his debut season, and his opportunities only grew from there.

During the summer, 90min reported that Van de Beek was considering leaving, with talks going place with a number of European clubs, including casual inquiries from AC Milan, Inter, and Roma. Other options included OGC Nice, Celtic, and perhaps Ajax, but nothing was decided.