According to Erik ten Hag, Donny van de Beek’s time at Manchester United was spoiled by injuries, and his experience should not dissuade prospective players from joining the club.
Van de Beek, 26, has signed on loan with Eintracht Frankfurt until the end of the season after failing to establish himself at United under three different managers since joining from Ajax in the summer of 2020: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, and Ten Hag.
The £35 million midfielder only appeared in 23 games during his three and a half years at Old Trafford, and he had previously spent time on loan when he joined Everton for the second half of the 2021-22 season, where he was once again hampered by injuries.
Ten Hag previously worked with Van de Beek at Ajax, but any thoughts of a reunion in Manchester were crushed.
“For starters, he’s had a lot of injuries,” explained Ten Hag. “He wasn’t the player he was at Ajax from the moment I arrived here at Manchester United because he was injured.” He was absent on numerous occasions, and he then struggled for a long time to recover from that ailment.
“That was most likely the main reason he wasn’t playing.” We agreed on a loan over the summer, but it never materialized, and his prospects are restricted because we also make appointments and agreements with players and contract players in his position. “The competition was fierce.”
Van de Beek is one of several players who have joined United in high-profile deals in recent seasons but have failed to live up to expectations, with £72 million winger Jadon Sancho also set to leave on loan during this transfer window following a public feud with Ten Hag.
Ten Hag disagreed when asked if others could be apprehensive of moving to Old Trafford because of Van de Beek’s experience.
“That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities,” he went on to explain. “However, I can tell you one thing: the Premier League is difficult.” Man United, it’s difficult to play there because the pressure is constantly so strong, and it’s easier to play in almost any other team than Man United.
“You have to cope with it. However, if you believe in yourself, this is the best challenge, and without a doubt, the best club to play for. It differs from player to player and is heavily influenced by the player’s character and personality.”
On Monday night, Ten Hag will take his United club to Wigan in the FA Cup third round.
Andre Onana will be in the squad and should be available for the match against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend before heading for the Africa Cup of Nations late.
However, Altay Bayindir, Onana’s backup goalkeeper, has yet to make his debut after joining from Fenerbahce in the summer, and the trip to the DW Stadium could be an opportunity to give the Turkey goalie first-team experience before he is called upon more frequently.
Despite his choice not to use Bayindir in the Carabao Cup before Christmas, Ten Hag expressed confidence in all of his goalkeepers.
“At some point, Andre will go,” he said. “We are completely satisfied, and we built this group of keepers because we are at ease with it.” We believe in them both, and they are both superb goalkeepers with considerable experience at the highest levels.
“I believe we can have a lot of confidence that we have coverage, but not just coverage, but competition between two or three.” We are confident that if Andre is forced to leave, we will be alright because we are in a strong position and have a solid replacement.”