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Head coach Erik ten Hag of Manchester United has stated that Donny van de Beek‘s struggles to establish himself for the team were largely due to injury.
Before moving to Old Trafford, the 26-year-old made 175 appearances for Ajax’s first team between 2015 and 2020, tallying 41 goals and 34 assists.
Van van Beek, however, had a difficult time at Old Trafford, making just 62 appearances and contributing just two goals and two assists. Earlier this month, he departed the team to take a loan to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Netherlands international will play for Frankfurt for the remainder of the season. It’s believed that Frankfurt will have the opportunity to sign him permanently this summer for a fee of £9.5 million.
Van van Beek has been available after recovering from a catastrophic knee injury over the summer, but he only played 21 minutes of football for Man United this season before going out on loan.
Ten Hag claimed that the Dutchman struggled to demonstrate the kind of play that made him one of the most sought-after midfield players in European football while he was at Ajax due to injury concerns.
“To start with, he has a lot of injuries. Prior to Monday night’s FA Cup third-round matchup with Wigan Athletic, Ten Hag told reporters, “I have now worked with him for two years, and before that he worked under different managers here as well.”
“He also possessed another loan. He wasn’t the player I had at Ajax since the day I arrived at Man United due to his injuries and frequent absences.
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“After that, he had a protracted struggle to heal from that injuries. Therefore, I believe it to be the primary cause of his absence from the game.
“Then we decided on a loan in the summer and nothing came, then his opportunities were so few because also we made appointments and agreements with players and there was conflict in those positions, the competition was high.”
Ten Hag also downplayed claims that certain gifted youths may be deterred from joining Man United because of the difficulties some have had there.
“It always depends on the players and your level of confidence. Your aptitude. I can tell you one thing, though: playing in the Premier League and at Manchester United is difficult because there is less pressure than it is for any other team,” he continued.
“You must deal with the fact that it is so high. But, this is the greatest challenge, in my opinion, if you have self-confidence. It is unquestionably the best club you want to be a part of, but that varies from player to player and also depends on character. The player’s character.”
Frankfurt is reportedly covering the majority of Van van Beek’s £120,000-per-week wages at Old Trafford as part of the loan deal.
