Manchester United are unwilling to sell Donny van de Beek to a Premier League rival this summer, according to the player’s agent.
The Dutch midfielder, 27, has endured a horrific time since joining the Red Devils in a £40million deal from Ajax back in 2020 having hardly played under a host of different managers, including Erik ten Hag.
Van de Beek was officially deemed surplus to requirements at the start of the season but was unable to agree a move away. He subsequently joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan in January, but the Bundesliga outfit have no interest in signing him permanently.
United will attempt to offload Van de Beek for good in the upcoming transfer window. However his agent, Guido Albers, has revealed that the club do not want him to join a domestic rival.
Speaking on ESPN, Albers, who is working with Van de Beek again, said: “For me it is a very nice moment in his career to pick it up again. We said together, ‘back to basics’. He’s lost that a bit in recent years. He is hungry and eager to please.
“I came to an agreement with Frankfurt for him. Frankfurt still had an option until June 30, which they will not exercise. Officially he is now going back to Manchester United and I am now in discussions with him.
“Donny does not want to stay in the Premier League, also because United do not want that. That is not a good choice for him. He needs to return to a club that plays good football. In any case, he will not return to Ajax.
“My preference was to look in Spain, Italy or France. If I could get him in Spain or Italy that would be fantastic, at a club where he will play as a No.10 like he played at Ajax. You see that the Dutch are successful in a certain way in Spanish or Italian football.”
Albers went on to add that De Beek was close to joining Real Sociedad last summer before the deal fell through – something he alleges that Ten Hag is responsible for.
Albers added: “He was very close to a transfer to Real Sociedad last summer. That was cancelled at the last minute because Erik ten Hag wanted to keep him until the last minute. Then he ended up at Frankfurt.”
