Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has advised Donny van de Beek to seal a transfer away from Old Trafford as he appears to be struggling with pressure at his current club.
The Dutch international seemed like an exciting signing when he first joined Man Utd from Ajax a few years ago, but he just hasn’t hit the ground running in his time in the Premier League.
Van de Beek initially struggled for playing time under former Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but has also struggled with subsequent management appointments and during a loan spell at Everton.
Evra now appears to have given up on Van de Beek being a success at United, and believes he needs to move away from the club and find a place where he feels more loved and freer to play without pressure.
“When we bought Donny van de Beek, I was the first to ask why we had bought another midfielder when we didn’t need one,” Evra told Betfair, quoted by Metro.
“We needed a defender at that time. Everybody jumped on me saying I hate van de Beek. I have nothing against him. I saw him after the Tottenham game with his family and I love him.
“I remember when he first signed, I heard people compare him to Paul Pogba. Come on guys, let’s be honest, he had just arrived in the Premier League.
“My advice to him is that he needs to go somewhere where he feels loved. The problem in England, not just in Manchester, is that people don’t respect him. He is a very good player.
“It reminds me of Mkhitaryan and Sánchez, when they struggled at United. When these things happen, you have to leave. He is wasting 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 handle the pressure well. Go where you feel loved is my advice.
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“We can talk about his performance and I can say he missed his chance, but how many times has he missed his chance? Now I only care about the player, not the club or him who is playing in England at the moment.
“I think he came to the Premier League too soon. Sometimes football is not about playing at the highest level, but sometimes football is about playing at a club where you can perform and when you can play to your fullest ability without pressure. That’s what he had at Ajax.
“He needs to think about his family and the people who love him because I don’t think he’s happy and I don’t want any player to be unhappy. I think it’s time for him to go, because he will be miserable if he stays in England.”
It is certainly surprising that Van de Beek was unable to improve under Erik ten Hag, as he enjoyed the best form of his career when they were together at Ajax.
