Van de Beek trouble ‘was predictable’ with United
FORMER Ajax youth coach Bryan Roy has declared that Donny van de Beek’s struggles at United were ‘predictable’, due to the competition for places at Old Trafford.
The 23-year-old moved from the Eredivisie to English football last summer but has featured in just 311 minutes of Premier League football since his arrival.
Competition with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes has seen regular action for Van de Beek difficult to come by, leading to speculation surrounding the future of the Netherlands international.
However, Roy believes the situation at United should have been expected prior to the move as it’s a scenario he thought Van de Beek would encounter.
“It was predictable, Manchester United is full of great players in his role. Either he plays, or Pogba plays. Let’s not talk about disappointment or failure, there can be a year of apprenticeship for a young man like Donny,” he said.
A host of clubs have been linked with a move for Van de Beek, and Roy believes Juventus would be a good fit.
He said: “Of course, I would see him well at Juve. He can play in any major European club, but he’ll just have to have a little patience. The right time will come.”
Van de Beek is not alone in his struggles since swapping Ajax for other European sides, with Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona and Matthijs de Ligt at Juventus both initially finding difficulties after securing their moves.
However, fortunes in their second seasons have improved significantly and Van de Beek will be looking to do the same.
He will be hoping for an increase in playing time ahead of the European Championships this summer, particularly after picking up just 11 minutes of football during the current break.