Barcelona and Manchester United are reportedly set to open discussions over a potential January loan deal for Donny van de Beek.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Barcelona are keen on bringing in Donny van de Beek in the January transfer window on a potential loan deal. However, Manchester United will only do business for the out-of-favour midfielder if a mandatory purchase option is included as part of the deal.
Donny van de Beek joined Manchester United from Ajax in the summer of 2020 as the marquee arrival of the transfer window. However, the Dutch international has endured a nightmarish stint with the Red Devils so far, having hardly been handed a start by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Things have only gone from bad to worse for the 24-year-old, who has started just two games and raked in only 141 minutes of action in the 10 games that Manchester United have played so far. With his career headed nowhere, van de Beek is eager to call it quits at Old Trafford, with Barcelona among the clubs ready to offer him an escape route out of Manchester United.
The interest from Barcelona does make sense considering they chose not to sign a single midfielder in the summer despite offloading Ilaix Moriba and Miralem Pjanic (on loan). And while their exits have been offset by the emergence of Gavi and Nico Gonzalez, it is important to note that the duo are still in the nascent stages of their careers and cannot be burdened too much.
In addition, with Sergio Busquets approaching the final phase of his career while being linked with a potential move to Manchester City, Barcelona need to be on their toes. As a result, they can be ahead of the curve and bring in a midfielder to prepare for life after Busquets, making van de Beek a viable target.
With that in mind, the Blaugrana are now ready to launch a move for the out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder, making a loan approach for him. The Red Devils, though, will only do business with Barcelona if the deal includes a mandatory purchase option.
For now, what remains certain is that van de Beek is eager to seal a January exit from Manchester United. What now remains to be seen is if Barcelona agree to United’s demands to swoop him away on loan this coming winter.
