Man Utd’s forgotten star dubbed next Thomas Muller sums up the problems at the club

In a summer filled with change for United, that’s all they’ll be recouping when the Dutch playmaker they signed for nearly £40million in 2020 leaves for around three times his weekly wage

Both Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have already left the club upon the expiry of their contracts, and Dutch midfielder Van de Beek looks set to follow them out the exit.

With his contract up in 2025, Van de Beek is tipped to join Girona for a reported €500,000. The move is set to spell the end of what was supposed to be a game-changing transfer but fell leagues short of the Thomas Muller comparisons the midfielder once demanded.

Signing for United in 2020, Van de Beek’s £40million fee seemed warranted on the back of his Champions League performances with Ajax. Yet, the player simply never broke into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s midfield. This was namely down to both Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba being somewhat immovable in the position, but the player too just didn’t impress.

Former United man Owen Hargreaves commented on Van de Beek’s move at the time, stating: “I think he’s a really good player. He hasn’t had the opportunity to show it. He could be like what Thomas Muller is for Bayern Munich – the style.

“Everybody tried to get Thomas Muller out of the team, but once he’s in, you can’t get him out in terms of goals, assists, he’s very unselfish, he can press the ball, he works in a midfield three, he can play as an 8 or a 10.

“He’s one of those… once he’s in the team, Ole is going to find it hard to get him out. The problem you have is: You’ve got £100m Pogba, Bruno Fernandes… getting them all in one team with the front three they have is going to be a challenge for Ole.”

Van de Beek arrived at Old Trafford full of promise
It proved a challenge too difficult to overcome in the end, and even once Ole was gone and Van de Beek’s manager at Ajax, Erik ten Hag, arrived, the midfielder remained out of favour.

Ten Hag even stated when he arrived at the club: “It’s either he [Van de Beek] fights and proves himself in this environment or he goes, but for me, there is still a way for him, but it’s not going to be easy for him because the competition there is really strong.”

Failing to impress the recently extended United boss, it seems Van de Beek’s time at United is up. Loan moves to Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt were far from convincing, and the club will now cash out for a nominal fee.