Don fighting for lost cause at United now

DONNY van de Beek has made just 28 starts for United since signing from Ajax for £35million in September 2020

- STEVEN RAILSTON

That means the club have paid £1.25m for every start the midfielder has made, without factoring in his wages. There has been a catalogue of transfer mistakes committed at Old Trafford but Van de Beek's name must be included in that book.

Van de Beek's first season, in which he struggled to break into the first team, was disappointing but it wasn't an anomaly. He's actually made fewer starts in every campaign since and the last chapter on his time at United has surely been written.

Once considered among the most exciting midfield talents in Europe, Van de Beek is now 26 and aware that his career has not developed as most predicted following Ajax's memorable run in the 2018/19 Champions League.

Van de Beek is understood to be likeable, popular among his teammates and staff at Carrington, but he's simply not been good enough on the pitch to establish himself in the side and it seems that he needs a move away to resurrect his career.

There have been four different managers - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag to preside over the player during his three-year stint and they've all reached the same conclusion about him.