Man Utd player posts emotional message to fans as nightmare spell finally comes to an end

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has penned a heartfelt goodbye to supporters as he prepares to leave Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old, who joined United from Ajax in the summer of 2020 for £35 million plus £5 million in add-ons, was limited to a handful of first-team starts during his time in Manchester.

In fact, he made just 34 Premier League appearances across three seasons – a largely underwhelming spell considering his form for Ajax, especially during their Champions League run in 2019.

After spending the latter part of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Everton, the Netherlands international joined German side Eintracht Frankfurt on a six-month loan deal in January.

But he started just four games for Dino Toppmoller's side, who decided against taking up the option to buy him for £9.5 million.

Now, it appears Van de Beek is on his way to La Liga side Girona in a deal worth an initial €500,000 [£423,000] plus add-ons that could add up to €15 million [£12.6m], according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Dutch midfielder will pen a four-year deal with the Spanish club, who finished third in La Liga last season – just four points behind second-place Barcelona.

As talks around the move intensified on Wednesday, Van de Beek posted a message to fans confirming his Old Trafford exit.

"Dear Manchester United family. Today is a memorable day as my adventure at the club comes to an end," he wrote on Instagram.

"I want to thank you all for your support throughout the years. From the moment we arrived at Manchester United, we felt extremely welcome and we are grateful for that.

"Thank you to everyone at the club for making us feel at home. A special thanks to all the fans that made these years unforgettable.

"Besides the football, the birth of our two children here ensures that Manchester will always have a special place in our hearts. Good luck to everybody, we’ll meet again."

Image credit: Getty

The post received thousands of comments from fans and players, including United teammate Bruno Fernandes, who reacted to the post by saying: "You deserve the best."

Here's how fans reacted to the message.

One said: "It didn’t turn out how we wanted, but we’ll always love you," while another commented: "Very unfortunate it didn't work put Donny, good luck in your next step."

A third wrote: "Sorry you didn't work out Donny. I wish Ole had played you more. Was so excited by you at Ajax and I hope you rediscover your form."

A fourth said: "This one hurts. All the best Donny. Thank you for everything."

A fifth added: "We still believe in your talent and all you have to do is believe in yourself again. We promised Ajax that we will take care of you but it just didn’t work out."