Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek is not happy with his lack of minutes at Manchester United and is open to the idea of joining Barcelona this summer.
A £ 35m signing from Ajax last summer, Van de Beek managed 36 games in all competitions during his debut season at Old Trafford, but only four of them came when the Premier League started when Bruno Fernandes dominated 10th place in the starting line-up.
While United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has always insisted that Van de Beek’s time comes, it seems that the Dutchman is ready to wait as Sport claims that he has offered himself to Barcelona this summer.
Van de Beek is believed to have seen Georginio Wijnaldum stumble upon Barcelona in favor of Paris Saint-Germain and used it to his advantage, reaching out to the Spanish side to inform them he would jump at the chance to join them.
It is believed that Van de Beek is unhappy with United and wants an immediate change this summer, with his representatives telling Barcelona that they would be happy to accept a loan move if a permanent deal was not financial.
Van de Beek spent most of the season as a replacement / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
Unfortunately for Van de Beek, while Barcelona have not ruled out anything yet, they are not particularly interested in adding another attacking midfielder and prefer to find someone in Wijnaldum’s form.
Man City’s Ilkay Gundogan, Roma Lorenzo Pellegrini and Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz have all been named potential options in the past, with all three happier playing in the deeper central midfield that Wijnaldum hoped would fix.
Van de Beek has played there before, even playing deeper than Wijnaldum for the Dutch national team sometimes, but it seems that Barcelona does not really value his skills on the defensive side.
Van de Beek wanted to replace Wijnaldum / ANP Sport / Getty Images
For Van de Beek, it seems as if another season at United is short, although he may have to leave if United can find the right replacement for him this summer. They are looking for a central midfielder, although defensive players such as West Ham’s Declan Rice are considered the club’s preference.
The Dutchman’s future may depend on Jesse Lingard, who is considered to have emphasized his desire to stay at Old Trafford. He could act as Fernandes’ investigator and clear the way for Van de Beek to lend.
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