It is no real secret that Manchester United have been far from astute with regard to their transfer dealings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, having both invested unwisely in unsuited talents, while also proving unable to shift the 'deadwood' when needed.
With regard to that latter failure, it was only recently reported that the Red Devils top the charts among European clubs with regard to their net spend over the past decade, having spent £1.19bn more on new additions than they have recouped with player sales.
Those woes were particularly evident in the recent transfer window, with the Old Trafford outfit only raking in £15m for both Dean Henderson and Anthony Elanga, for instance, while rivals Manchester City moved on Cole Palmer for a mammoth £42.5m to Chelsea – despite the 20-year-old having started just three Premier League games.
Equally, the United hierarchy also failed to ditch those who appeared to be surplus to requirements, such as West Ham United target Harry Maguire – who had been stripped of the captaincy earlier this year.
The England international is not the only unwanted presence still on the books, however, with the window having come and gone without a new home having been found for forgotten man, Donny van de Beek – a player who has perhaps bled the club dry over the past three years or so.
Why did Man United sign Donny van de Beek?
Following what has been a truly dismal period in Manchester for the 26-year-old, it is hard to remember just why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to fork out £40m to sign the playmaker in the first place, yet the Dutchman had no doubt warranted that interest following his prior sparkling displays at Ajax.
Before departing the Amsterdam giants in the summer of 2020, the midfielder had been a key figure for the Eredivisie side after rising up through the youth ranks, scoring 41 goals and contributing 34 assists in 175 games in all competitions.
The promising talent had particularly impressed as part of a youthful side that reached the semi-final of the Champions League under Erik ten Hag during the 2018/19 campaign, with Ajax seeing off the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus prior to slipping up against Tottenham Hotspur.
That lengthy, surprise run in the competition saw Van de Beek score three goals and provide two assists – including netting in the first-leg 1-0 win over Spurs – having subsequently courted attention from those at the Bernabeu with a move to Spain looking likely.
It was United, however, who ultimately won the race for his signature – despite potential reservations from Solskjaer – although fast-forward three years and the club may be wishing they hadn't, following what has proven "one of the most disappointing transfers ever", according to ex-Old Trafford star, Dimitar Berbatov.
How much does Van de Beek earn at Man United?
While there are reports that Ten Hag and co are hoping to shift the struggling asset over the next week or so – with the transfer window still open in Turkey, for instance – at present the club are still having to fork out for the player's reported £120k-per-week wages.
That hefty salary has remained the same since Van de Beek walked in the door in 2020, ensuring that he has cost United roughly £18m in that time – a rather sizeable figure for a player who has just two goals and two assists to his name in 60 appearances in all competitions.
While only ranking as the 14th-highest earner at the Theatre of Dreams – according to Capology – when that salary is added to his £40m transfer fee, it does look as if the Premier League outfit have simply wasted £58m on a player who has made next to no impact in a red jersey.
Casemiro – £350k-p/w
Raphael Varane – £340k-p/w
Marcus Rashford – £300k-p/w
Mason Mount – £250k-p/w
Jadon Sancho – £250k-p/w
Anthony Martial – £250k-p/w
Bruno Fernandes – £240k-p/w
Antony – £200k-p/w
Harry Maguire – £190k-p/w
With two years left to run on his existing deal, the club will be desperate to ensure that the 19-cap international – who has been left of Ten Hag's Champions League squad – can find a new home sooner rather than later, rather than continuing to prove a financial burden.
What's gone wrong for Van de Beek at Man United?
It's difficult to know where to begin with regard to Van de Beek's woes, with the player having always looked set to struggle for a regular role due to the signing of Bruno Fernandes earlier that same year, with the pair both operating in an advanced midfield berth.
With Fernandes – who now boasts a haul of 120 goal contributions for the club – the obvious favoured option in that role, Van de Beek has been forced to try his hand in more of a deep-lying berth, albeit with limited success.
Although he may count himself unlucky after being restricted to just 23 starts in total to date, the one-time Everton loanee has hardly impressed when he has been given the nod by the likes of Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick or Ten Hag – with journalist Samuel Luckhurst writing last season that playing the 6 foot dud simply "doesn't work".
That came after his limp showing away to Real Sociedad in the Europa League back in November – amid a rare run of three successive starts in all competitions – with Luckhurst also writing at the time that Van de Beek simply "couldn't hack the pace" against the La Liga side.
Luck and misfortune has also likely played its part in the midfielder's decline as he suffered a season-curtailing injury against Bournemouth in January, with that blow epitomising what has been a "really strange, disappointing and surprising situation", in the words of Berbatov.
In truth, it is best for all parties that the out-of-favour talent finds a new home as soon as possible, with the fact that he can't even get a game under his former Ajax boss, Ten Hag, indicative of just how far his stock has fallen.
