16 December 2023 , 11:47
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Before becoming Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag labelled the club's treatment of Donny van de Beek as a "mortal sin", yet he has been guilty of the same since taking the helm.
Ten Hag was Ajax manager at a time when Van de Beek's stock was at its highest while also playing for the Dutch giants and the pair clearly know how to work together. The midfielder upped sticks for Old Trafford in the summer of 2020, but it quickly became clear he would struggle for game time.
In December of 2021, while Ten Hag was still Ajax boss but being regularly linked with a move to United himself, the Dutchman admitted he found it hard to understand why Van de Beek was being used so sparingly by the Premier League titans.
"Donny, I find that hard. [It's a] mortal sin," he told de Volkskrant. "If you haven't had a chance yet, then development will also stall. Every now and then you encourage them."
Seven months after those comments, Ten Hag was appointed United boss and many felt that this was the break that Van de Beek needed. Reuniting with a manager he played so well under at Ajax, surely this would be the thing that kickstarts his flatlining United career.
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In contrast, Ten Hag followed in the footsteps of predecessors Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by barely calling on Van de Beek. Since his old boss took the reins, the Netherlands international has featured in just eight Premier League games.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Have United mismanaged Van de Beek? Comment below
Donny van de Beek is closing in on an exit from Manchester United (Getty Images)The current campign is now more than four months underway and as things stand Van de Beek has played just 21 minutes of football across all competitions, with only two of those coming in the Premier League. It is for that reason Van de Beek is on the verge of a new challenge.
The 26-year-old is expected to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan at the turn of the year, who will have the chance to sign him on a permanent basis for £12.5million in the summer should he impress. His imminent, albeit temporary departure should not serve as a shock after Ten Hag's recent comments on the situation.
"I think Donny has to play," the Red Devils boss declared earlier this month. "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."