€40 million Manchester United flop offers himself to Barcelona ahead of January transfer window: Reports
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has reportedly offered his services to Barcelona for the second half of the 2023-24 season.
The Dutchman has had a markedly underwhelming spell at Old Trafford since his €40 million move from Ajax in the summer of 2020. He has made just 23 starts for the club across competitions since then and was even loaned out to Everton for six months in January 2022.
Van de Beek's fortunes at Manchester United haven't changed under Erik ten Hag, who also managed him during their memorable spell at Ajax. With just 21 minutes of first-team football this season, it has become clear that the midfielder isn't rated highly by the Dutch manager.
According to SPORT (h/t BarcaUniversal), the Netherlands international wants to play for Barcelona in the second half of this campaign. The Catalan club are apparently happy with the player's profile but are concerned about his fitness, considering the player hasn't played regularly this season.
Moreover, Juventus are also in the fray. The Serie A giants are reportedly in talks over a loan move for Van de Beek which could contain an option to make the transfer permanent. The 26-year-old has just over 18 months left on his contract at Old Trafford.
What Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has said about Barcelona target's playing-time situation
Erik ten Hag has acknowledged that reported Barcelona target Donny van de Beek needs more playing time.
The Dutchman also said that the Manchester United midfielder is training well and hinted at an increase in minutes in the future. He said at a recent press conference (h/t FootballTransfers):
"I think Donny has to play. In games he was in the squad, so he had the opportunity. It was a slow start to the season because he was still recovering from physical setbacks. But he is back now and he is doing really well in training, so if you can’t give him perspective then I can see he has to play for his career and for everything."
Van de Beek's situation at Manchester United has also affected his standing with the Netherlands national team. Once regarded as one of the Oranje's brightest prospects, the midfielder hasn't represented his country at any level since March 2021.