If ’s fortunes do not turn around in the second-half of the season, he should leave for good.
That is the opinion of former United defender Mikael Silvestre, as the Red Devils prepare for the return of the Premier League, with Erik ten Hag’s side hosting Nottingham Forest on December 27th.
United have already played their first competitive match since the end of the , beating Burnley 2-0 in the Carabao Cup, with Ten Hag able to name a very strong side against the Championship leaders.
There was however no place for Van de Beek who was left on the bench despite scoring United’s second goal before the hour mark.
Van de Beek’s struggles since moving from Ajax to old Trafford in 2019 are well-known, with the Dutchman unable to find form or regular game-time.
It was thought that the arrival of his former Ajax manager Ten Hag would revitalise the 25-year-old’s performances, but alas the situation appears to have only gotten worse for the midfielder.
He has started just three games in all competitions so far this season, though this has partly been caused by a lengthy injury he picked up in September, and Silvestre believes that if this does not change by the end of the campaign then his United career will be over.
‘We haven’t seen a change for Donny van de Beek unfortunately,’ Silvestre told .
‘He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to start. We haven’t seen the player he was at Ajax. If it’s not within the next five-six months, till the end of the season, then there should be a change.
‘Yes there are a lot of games to come so there will be a need for fresh players. We expect him to come from the bench and grab the opportunities.
‘It’s hard when you don’t have a run of games. Let’s wait and see for Donny van de Beek.’
Van de Beek still has two-and-a-half years left to run on his contract and while there has not been any notable transfer interest in him, reports suggest he could be used as part of a swap deal in January.
United are keen on bringing in a new centre-forward and it has been suggested that they could offer Van de Beek to PSV in part exchange for long-time target Cody Gakpo.
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