Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has given a honest verdict to Donny Van de Beek following his dismal spell at the club.
The former Ajax star joined the Old Trafford outfit in 2020 for a fee of around £40 million. With huge expectations on his shoulders, he was already compared to some top class midfielders in the league.
The 25-year-old made 175 appearances for the Dutch team and he helped them win numerous domestic titles along with reaching the Champions League semi-final stage. The midfielder’s performances in the prestigious competition attracted attention from United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer snapped him up in the 2020 summer transfer window.
However, under the former manager he hardly received any chances to feature in the starting XI. In the 2021/22 campaign, he was unable to register a single appearance under his name and he was soon loaned out to Everton in the second half of the season.
Van De Beek played well for the Toffees in the initial weeks but injuries started to take a toll on him. He was stuck in a similar situation at the Goodison Park and he returned back to United. However, the fans were optimistic that the 25-year-old will get his chances to play under former manager Erik ten Hag. But his situation has been the same since the arrival of the gaffer.
Ten Hag gave him a rare start against Aston Villa and Real Sociedad but his performances came under scrutiny after the team lost miserably against the Villians. Patrice Evra believes that Van de Beek should leave United as he is unable to play at his best standards in England. According to the former United star, the Dutch midfielder should join a club that would give him enough opportunities to play and make a name for himself.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, he said:
“My advice to him is that he needs to go somewhere where he feels loved. The problem in England, not just Manchester, is that people don’t respect him. He’s a very good player.”
“He’s losing his time. He’s getting injured, he’s not playing enough and when he plays all the pressure is on him. I don’t think he can deal well with the pressure. Go to where you feel loved is my advice.”
Evra’s words maybe hard to swallow for the Dutch star but it may be the truth that Van de Beek needs to learn at this stage of his career.
At United, it is difficult for him to get his best shot and with the arrival of new signings, his chances have been restricted even further. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have been given the nod ahead of the midfielder and Ten Hag may target another midfielder in January.
Van De Beek should consider the option to leave the Red Devils in January and look for a new club that would suit his playing style.
