It looks like Donny van de Beek has made his last appearance in a Manchester United shirt after reports emerged suggesting that the Dutch midfielder will quit Old Trafford this summer.
The 24-year-old, who joined United from Ajax in 2020 for £40 million, decided to join fellow Premier League side Everton last month in a loan deal until the end of the season.
Since making the move, van de Beek has already played 120 minutes for the Toffees and last weekend, Frank Lampard gave the midfielder his first 90 minutes in the league for nine months.
Earlier this week, van de Beek joked about his lack of game time at United after making a positive first start for Everton. "I am really happy to play 90 minutes," he said per Daily Mirror.
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"In the last 20 minutes I felt it was a long time ago that I played a full game, and I was a little bit tired! But it was an amazing day and a good start for me. We really needed this."
And if Everton manage to avoid the drop in the coming months, Van de Beek is planning to pursue a permanent move to Goodison Park, according to The Daily Star.
The report states that the Dutch international has 'no intention of going back to United to sit on the bench next season' and will push to join Everton on a permanent deal.
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"It's like a new start," van de Beek said after joining the club. "This gives me a lot of energy and, you know, if you see the way the club is on the table, they want to go up.
"Me also as a player, I want to go again to show what I can do. I think this combination is good."
The news surrounding Van de Beek's future comes after Manchester United interim Ralf Rangnick suggested the mood around squad has improved since the departures of Anthony Martial and van de Beek in January.
"Players realised they wouldn't get game time and the atmosphere is better than it used to be a couple of weeks ago," he said.
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"Now, for us it's about performing well, showing togetherness on the pitch, winning games and those are the things we can influence."
Frank Lampard, meanwhile, has praised the player ahead of their Premier League clash against Southampton on Saturday
“I'm really impressed,” the Everton manager said.
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“On a professional level, since speaking to him and coming and seeing him train and play, absolutely impressed with his fitness, his game sharpness, but when you watch him train it doesn’t surprise you.
“When I think back to the time he’s had at Manchester United, he's a top level player. He was when Manchester United signed him, he was at Ajax when I went up against him.
“To have a tough time is not easy, there’s different ways of reacting. I’m sure it was tough, and he shows that if you keep your counsel, keep your head down and keep working in the right way, there's always a way through it, and people will always respect you for that.
“Now hopefully there’s a chance for him to just show his talent on a regular basis, and that’s what I hope to see.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Donny van de Beek, Everton, Transfers, Premier League
