Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek wants quick exit

Why? Gametime has been limited, and there has been no consistency in selection. The Dutchman can start one game, play well, and then be put back on the bench for the next series of matches. He has no opportunity to play on a regular basis, and it is believed to have left the Dutchman desperate to move on and get first-team gametime at another club.

Experts in the game suggested at the time that van de Beek was an ill-suited option for United, but the signing took place and already looks to be a move that all involved with United regret. The midfielder has struggled for game time, has failed to adapt to the system, and looks unhappy.

Most around player and club, then, believe that an exit will take place in the summer. Teams in Germany and in Spain were heavily linked beforehand, and it might be that the Dutch international makes a move outside of England. Some reports from United suggest a desire to keep the player, perhaps even to loan him out to a Premier League side, but the player himself seems desperate to get out of the English game.

Where will van de Beek sign?

At the moment, the most likely place could be a move to Germany. Many teams in the past were linked, and his main suitors in Spain – Real Madrid – are likely to have lost interest given his poor season in English football. Therefore, an exit could see him make a move to the German Bundesliga instead. Teams in the past were linked with a move for the Dutch international but likely would have been too expensive; now, he could be a viable loan signing for any German team in the UEFA Champions League.

The discussion around his future, though, is likely to only inhibit van de Beek from regular playing time this season. With his future likely to lie elsewhere, what precious few moments of gametime were provided are likely to fade to other players in the future. A poor series of performances from the player as well as a lack of a fit in the United midfield does mean that we could see an exit arrive sooner rather than later.

Early performances looked good, but it would be fair to say that things have changed for the worse since the turn of the year to the point where an exit almost seems certain.