Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek is one of the players keen to impress new manager Erik ten Hag as Manchester United’s players get their pre-season training underway...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Manchester United’s players have had a chance to impress manager Erik ten Hag in training, but things didn’t all go to plan for Donny van de Beek.
Van de Beek has been reunited with Ten Hag, the manager who got him playing some of his best football at Ajax.
He’s one of a few – alongside the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Anthony Martial- who will hope the change in the dugout can allow them a chance to revive their careers at Old Trafford.
Not only did the £40m man fail to beat David de Gea on two occasions, but he had the move recorded for posterity.
He’ll certainly hope for better fortune in front of goal when United begin their pre-season fixtures.
It was De Gea himself who shared footage of the video., highlighting Van de Beek’s inability to beat him with the caption “Not today” followed by a stop sign.
The former Atletico Madrid stopper was one of United’s better performers last season as the Red Devils slumped to an underwhelming sixth-place finish.
While the club conceded 57 goals – more than relegated Burnley – the tally could have been even more without De Gea.
As Ten Hag looks to add a new face to compete with the Spanish international, he’ll be pleased to see the keeper picking up where he left off.
With Lee Grant retiring and Dean Henderson on his way out on loan, United have been linked with the likes of Daniel Bachmann as competition for the number one jersey.
Van de Beek hit double-figures for goals in each of his three seasons under Ten Hag at Ajax, but scored just twice for United in a season and a half in England.
He ended the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Everton, scoring once, but injuries restricted him to just seven appearances.
He could be joined at Old Trafford by one of his former Ajax teammates. A fee for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has been agreed, but fans are still waiting on an official announcement of the deal.
De Jong was one of a number of United-linked players to react to Van de Beek’s social media post marking his return to training with the club.
Antony and Lisandro Martinez are both on the radar of United, having impressed under Ten Hag at Ajax, and the pair showed support for their former teammate.
Ten Hag’s team don’t have long to wait before they begin their pre-season travels, with a busy schedule up ahead.
They have games to play in Thailand, Australia and Norway before returning to Old Trafford to take on Rayo Vallecano on July 31.
