With improvements needed in the recruitment department and the medical department to name but two, this is unlikely to be one of the top priorities on Ineos’ Manchester United to-do list.
But it is another problem for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co to solve. Stick it on the pile. The intimidatingly large pile.
While plenty of other Premier League clubs have become accustomed of loaning players out and eventually bringing in big fees after selling them on, 2023/24 has been another campaign in which a series of Manchester United misfits have had their reputations damaged further by ill-fated, short-lived spells away from Old Trafford.
Yes, Jadon Sancho will be playing against Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday. Yes, Alvaro Fernandez impressed enough to earn himself a permanent move to Benfica.
But Hannibal Mejbri barely kicked a ball at Sevilla, Facundo Pellistri’s Granada stint ended with relegation and a red card in a 7-1 defeat, and Donny van de Beek saw Eintracht Frankfurt opt against pursuing a permanent deal even to the tune of just £13 million.
What can Manchester United do with Donny van de Beek
Van de Beek’s arrival at the Commerzbank Arena was greeted with genuine excitement in January, head coach Dino Toppmoller delighted to get his mitts on an ‘outstanding footballer’ who had shone so brightly at Ajax.
It quicklybecame obvious to Toppmoller, however, that four years on the fringes at Man United had taken their toll. Unable to play even 70 minutes at a time let alone 90, Van de Beek’s spell in Germany ended with just eight appearances, five starts, no goals and no assists.
“We had a very good spell in the autumn. It is important for us to know why we did not continue this development,” sporting director Markus Krosche tells the Frankfurt website, The Eagles winning just three out of 15 Bundesliga games following Van de Beek’s arrival.
“Firstly, there were factors that were not foreseeable, such as (Wolves loanee’s) Sasa Kalajdzic’s (ACL) injury.
“Donny van de Beek could not help us as much as we had hoped. Overall, we were too rarely forceful and clear in the second half of the season. It felt like the final action was missing.”
Disappointing Bundesliga loan comes to an end
Van de Beek, one of Europe’s most promising attacking midfielders during his time under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, was signed with exactly that in mind; to help Frankfurt turn their possession into goals and make the final pass at the right moment.
“Donny van de Beek was supposed to build on his Ajax days in midfield,” wrote the local Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper, pulling no punches. “And he (has) completely flopped.”
As if Ineos did not have enough to keep themselves busy with, Van de Beek now looks set to return to Carrington ahead of another pre-season.
At least, with only one year left on his Manchester United contract these days, the Red Devils should find potential buyers a little more receptive, 12 months after mooted moves to Real Sociedad, Lorient and Galatasaray came and went.