Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has issued a no-nonsense update regarding new signing Donny van de Beek ahead of the Reds’ second Champions League Group H match against RB Leipzig tomorrow.
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Van de Beek, 23, joined United from Ajax earlier in the summer in a move which costs the Reds’ hierarchy £39m as per Sky Sports.
However, despite the excitement surrounding United’s new versatile midfielder, the Dutchman has failed to start a single Premier League game so far this season.
Solskjaer’s decision to slowly integrate van de Beek into his first-team plans has come under intense criticism, most notably from multiple Ballon d’Or winner Marco van Basten who recently launched a savage attack on the 23-year-old’s decision to join United.
Speaking ahead of his side’s second Champions League Group H game tomorrow night, Solskjaer has addressed the mounting pressure to award van de Beek with more game-time, as quoted by Manchester Evening News, he said: “When players come into a new team, a new league it’s always going to be a time that he adapts.
When Donny has played, he’s played really well. It says a lot about our depth of quality in the squad that we don’t have to use him every game. It also says everything about our ambitions.
Donny is going to play a big big part this year. I know at the moment the topic is Donny van de Beek.
It’s nice for some players and commentators to have a little go, but you have to know that you don’t have to start the first three games to be a very important player in the squad. He’s going to be important, don’t worry about that.”
Solskjaer was also joined in today’s press conference by midfielder Scott McTominay who also spoke about van de Beek, the Scotsman said: “You see Donny come into training every day with a big smile on his face. I’m so confident Donny will become a big figure in this team.
“Along with Alex and Edinson they have lifted the dressing room. You can see that with how Alex played in Pairs and what Donny’s done when he’s been on the pitch.
There’s no panic with Donny. Let him settle into the league, settle into his new house and the season.”