The curious case of Donny van de Beek and Man United is one that will forever puzzle those with an interest in football.
During their time at Ajax, the midfielder was the fulcrum of Erik ten Hag’s brilliant young side, and showed off his skills to brilliant effect as the Dutch dismantled Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Once the club were knocked out of the Champions League in stunning style by Tottenham Hotspur, it was entirely obvious that Ajax’s new golden generation were going to be broken up.
Frenkie de Jong headed to Barcelona, Matthijs de Ligt initially to Juventus and now Bayern Munich… it was a foregone conclusion that van de Beek would follow them out of the exit door.
Though de Ligt has found himself sidelined at the Bavarians of late, he gave a timely reminder of everything he has to offer with a towering header against Bochum.
De Jong is an immovable object as far as Barca are concerned, but the Man United outcast has done little since swapping the Ajax ArenA for Old Trafford to justify his inclusion into ten Hag’s first-team on a regular basis.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what has gone wrong and the sad fact of the matter is that a move away is probably the only thing that will suit all parties.
Fichajes report that Spanish top-flight outfit, Villarreal, are ready to offer the player a way out in 2024, and one imagines that van de Beek will grab the opportunity with both hands.