Manchester United signed Donny van de Beek for a £39 million transfer fee in 2020, but he has so far been sluggish, and although he has recently been supported by Ten Hag, starting three consecutive games, he has been mediocre and has been replaced midway. In the Carabao Cup match against Villa, United were still behind when he left the field, and the score was reversed 15 minutes after the substitution, which embarrassed Fan Jr. After the game, he was also unsurprisingly dropped out of the Dutch World Cup squad and, in fact, van van Gaal has not chosen him since Donny van de Beek joined Manchester United. Not only that, but Ten Hag also warned Donny van de Beek that if he did not perform well, he would be sold outright.
United loaned Donny van de Beek to Everton last season, but his performance level has not improved. Ten Hag believes another loan is unnecessary and will be sold permanently if the Dutch midfielder proves unable to establish himself with the Red Devils. "I don't think Lend-Lease makes any sense." Ten Hag said, "Either he fights and proves himself in this environment, or he just leaves. But in my opinion, he still has a way out. But he won't succeed easily because the competition here is really strong."
The 25-year-old faces rivalry with Bruno Fernandes and Eriksen and recently Ten Hag did not hesitate to let Fei play on the right to free up a No.10 spot for his Dutch compatriot, but Van's performance remains disappointing. In response to criticism, Ten Hag still supports the former Ajax favourite: "I see people's opinions, but I analyse the performance against Real Sociedad and Villa and I think he has lived up to my expectations of the No.10. In modern football, it's hard to really show yourself at No. 10. We always have romantic thoughts about the number 10 and want them to be at the core, deliver deadly passes and control midfield. But it's hard to do now because the big teams are always in midfield, so it's hard to make sure you touch a lot."
"It's not Van de Beek's type either, but I think he's done a good job with his selection and movement, especially with the strikers, with the number nine. He's in a good position, predicts the next step whether he's on the ball or not, and he's been happy with his performances in recent games. But I see that he is not in the scoring list and not in the assists list, he can do better. He hasn't reached his limit yet, I've seen him perform better in the past, that's for sure. But I think positionally, he's done pretty well. However, he needs to improve his speed and intensity."
Another sluggish Manchester United player who missed out on the World Cup was Jadon Sancho, who joined for £73 million, and Southgate did not include him in England's 26-man squad. Ten Hag understands this, after all, England wingers have been absent from playing recently due to mysterious diseases. 'Sancho has had ups and downs, has had some good performances and I think he's generally moving in the right direction.' Ten Hag commented: "But in recent weeks, he has been sick and missed, so it is normal to miss the World Cup because every manager only brings healthy players to the World Cup.
Sancho's left wing position could even be threatened by 18-year-old Alejandro Garaccio. Although Garnancho was not included in Argentina's World Cup squad, Ten Hag said: "We are happy that Gatancho has talked a lot about it, can he maintain this momentum and can he continue along this path? If you can, it will contribute well to the team because we need him as much as we need anyone else."