Barcelona have reportedly taken a step closer to completing the January signing of out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.
According to a report from Sport, Barcelona could be inching towards the capture of Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek in the upcoming January transfer window after the Dutchman changed his representatives.
Van de Beek, a product of the AFC Ajax youth academy, landed at Manchester United in the summer of 2020 in a deal worth £35 million. Expectations were high following the smart acquisition, considering how well the 24-year-old was performing for the Dutch heavyweights over the past couple of years.
However, things have hardly gone according to plans for van de Beek and Manchester United. Following a debut goal against Crystal Palace, it has been completely downhill for the Netherlands international, who has been unable to establish himself as a regular starter in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Indeed, van de Beek started just four Premier League matches in his debut campaign at Old Trafford, leading to exit speculations in the summer. Solskjaer and Manchester United blocked a late move to Premier League rivals Everton with a promise of handing him a more prominent role at the club.
However, that has proven to be untrue as van de Beek has again suffered from a lack of game-time. Indeed, since the start of the 2021/22 season, the former Ajax midfielder has featured just three times across all competitions, totalling up to 141 minutes of on-pitch action. Naturally, he has been left disillusioned by life at Old Trafford and is seeking an exit in January.
In order to secure a move away, van de Beek also changed his agents recently and is now being represented by Ali Dursun. As per the report mentioned above, this move has taken the Manchester United star a step closer towards a winter switch to La Liga heavyweights Barcelona.
It is no secret that the Catalan giants are in the market for an experienced midfielder after missing out on the signing of Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer last summer. Van de Beek has been on their radar for a while now, with the Blaugrana expressing an interest in securing his services in the upcoming window.
The 24-year-old is a close friend of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, with the pair having played together at Ajax and being teammates for the Netherlands. In addition, van de Beek’s new agent, Dursun, also represents de Jong and has close ties with the Barcelona hierarchy, making things easier for a move to materialise smoothly.
On top of that, the presence of compatriots Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong, provided he stays past January, adds to the appeal for the Manchester United star. Van de Beek had offered himself to Barcelona during the summer, and in case everything goes to plan, he could be on his way to Catalonia in January.
The report, however, insists that any move would be on loan with an option to make it permanent at the end of the season, owing to Barca’s delicate financial situation. It now remains to be seen if van de Beek ends up leaving Manchester for Catalonia come January.