Donny van de Beek has offered himself to Roma despite a potential route back into the Manchester United first team, according to reports.
The Dutchman has struggled for minutes and opportunities at Old Trafford after leaving Ajax in 2020. Van de Beek made a name for himself in Amsterdam during his former side's run to the last four of the Champions League in 2019, which was masterminded by Erik ten Hag.
Van de Beek and his former manager will now be reunited in Manchester after two years apart. That has led to renewed belief that the versatile star will be given more opportunities. Yet reports in Corriere della Sera claim Van de Beek is ready to quit the club and move to Roma.
That would certainly come as a surprise given the good feeling between the player and his new manager. Ten Hag has already addressed the prospect of working with Van de Beek. He's said: "We had fantastic squad in that time at Ajax. I really had a good relationship with him. Of course I am looking forward to meeting him again on the pitch."
The Dutchman's frustration last term was evident as he was consistently overlooked by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Van de Beek failed to start in the league despite being denied a summer exit amid the promise of more game time. Eventually he joined Frank Lampard at Everton, heading out to Goodison Park on loan.
Van de Beek, should he stay at United, could yet be joined by compatriot and former Ajax man Frenkie De Jong. The midfielder is currently at Barcelona but the club could yet cash in which would offer Ten Hag the chance to bolster his options.
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Barcelona boss Xavi has already confessed an exit could occur if the books need balancing. He said: "For me, Frenkie is a great player, he’s a beast – I like him and I think he can be part of an important era of the club. We will see the economic situation of the club… but I like De Jong."
United will also be seeking reinforcements in defence and attack amid a huge squad overhaul. Ten Hag could yet turn to Ajax as he weighs up a move for centre-half Jurrien Timber. Meanwhile Benfica's Darwin Nunez is being eyed as a new forward option, but is also on Liverpool's radar.
Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic have all left Old Trafford following the expiry of their contracts. More could yet follow as the likes of Dean Henderson, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones consider their futures.
