Donny van de Beek’s former agent has in no uncertain terms expressed his deep regret no qualms at the midfielder signing for Man Utd from Ajax in 2020.
Taking it a step further, Van de Beek’s former agent Guido Albers has leveled criticism at both Manchester United and Paul Pogba in an extraordinary spill-all interview.
The 25-year-old Van de Beek signed for United for £35-million from Ajax in the summer of 2020 and arrived expectantly at Old Trafford with a big reputation that was established after he helped his side reach the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought Van de Beek to the club with high hopes but somehow ended up providing the midfielder with limited opportunities during his time in charge and the latter eventually was left with no options but to join Everton on loan in January last season in search of regular first-team minutes.
Van de Beek was eager to depart United on loan last summer, but was given assurances over game time that weren’t kept by Solskjaer, leaving the player the with th eonly option of parting company with his agent Guido Albers in October in a bid to organise a January move.
The young, disillusioned Dutchman finally got his wish to join Everton in January but that spell at Goodison Park did not turn out as he had expected and he’s since been shuttled back to Manchester, having played all of just 19 minutes this season and remains very much a peripheral squad figure.
Now Albers has opened up about his former client’s experience at United.
“For me, I put my heart and soul into it,” Albers told Voetbal Primeur. “But after a disappointment, they get on the next train. Then when I ask to explain what I might not have done right, nothing comes. That’s a shame, though.
“I didn’t see it coming. I saw the disappointment about the way he was treated by Manchester United, and he saw up close what I did to turn the situation around. But from the day he was not allowed to leave Manchester United again, it was final.
“In the Netherlands, Donny got all the appreciation, performed well and was super popular with the fans. At Manchester United, he then never played. The relationship between him and the club really cooled down badly.
“He had to compete against Paul Pogba, who reported late to the training camp, said sorry and was allowed to play again – in the place of a boy who was training 10 hours a day for eight weeks to show he was good enough.
“I then had that disappointment thrown at me. I underestimated what not playing anymore did to him mentally. I should have looked earlier: how can I help him?”