Donny van de Beek can try and revive his career in the Bundesliga (Picture: Getty)
Manchester United have verbally agreed a loan deal with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt that will see Donny van de Beek move to Germany in January, according to reports.
The Dutch midfielder had hoped the appointment of old Ajax boss Erik ten Hag would offer a chance to revive his career at Old Trafford but he has made just one solitary substitute appearance in the Premier League this season under his compatriot and only started twice last season.
Van de Beek was not even handed a start in the Carabao Cup, while he has been ineligible to play in the Champions League after being left off the club’s squad list.
The 26-year-old was not even getting on the bench at the start of the season, but United’s injury crisis has seen him make the matchday squad in eight of the last 11 league games.
Although United’s injury woes have not lessened – in fact, they have got worse with Harry Maguire the latest to pick up a problem – Ten Hag is willing to let fringe players leave in January due to the club no longer being involved in Europe.
As such, Van de Beek has been granted permission to go, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that a verbal agreement is already in place between United and Frankfurt.
The former Ajax midfielder will move to the Bundesliga on loan until the end of the season and Frankfurt can turn the deal into a permanent transfer at any point for a fee of €15million (£12.8m).
Van de Beek in training with United this week (Picture: Getty)
Should Van de Beek join Frankfurt permanently, that figure would represent a huge loss for a player who cost £34.7m when he swapped Amsterdam for Manchester in the summer of 2020.
The move will mark the second time Van de Beek has left Old Trafford on loan, with his first spell at Everton not going entirely to plan.
He made his debut in a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle in February 2022 and started five of the first six matches, but persistent thigh injuries and a loss of form meant he did not play again until the last game of the season.
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When Van de Beek moved to United he was a regular in the Netherlands squad but he has not played for his nation since 2021, with his loan offering a potential chance to force his way back into the reckoning ahead of next summer’s Euros.
Ten Hag suggested he would not stand in Van de Beek’s way if he asked to leave, saying earlier this month: ‘I think Donny has to play. In games he was in the squad, so then he had the opportunity, but it was a slow start in the season because he still recovered from physical setbacks.
‘But now he is back and is doing well in the training so, if we can’t give him perspective, I can see that he has to play, for his career, for everything.’
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