Daley Blind believes Donny van de Beek has the qualities to be a top player for Manchester United. The Girona defender said this in an interview with The Athletic. The midfielder has not yet had a happy period in England, but Blind nevertheless sees prospects. “Donny is a real number 10 and there are not many teams in top football that play with a 10.”
Van de Beek and Blind were teammates at Ajax, before the former left for Man United for 39 million euros in 2020. The midfielder, who made his mark in the Champions League with Ajax under current United manager Erik ten Hag, arrived at Old Trafford with high expectations. However, the Nijkerkervener has not yet been able to fulfill his promise, partly due to injuries. For example, he suffered a serious knee injury in the match against Bournemouth in January this year. That cost him the remainder of last season.
Blind supports him. “Donny is a very good person and a very good player, but serious injuries have been a problem for him and it can be difficult to come back from them. Donny is a real number 10 and there are not many teams in top football who play a 10. I think he can also adapt to new positions, if given the time. He has the qualities to be a top player for Manchester United, but United does not wait for anyone.”
This season, Van de Beek does not seem to have to count on a lot of playing time. The midfielder played regularly for United in pre-season, but he has not yet played in the Premier League. That will not be the case in the Champions League anyway, as Ten Hag decided not to include him in his selection for that tournament. Last Tuesday, Van de Beek made his first official minutes of the season. During the EFL Cup match with Crystal Palace he was allowed to show up twenty minutes before time. The final score had already been reached (3-0).
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