Man Utd to offload struggling Solskjaer signing for next-to nothing as two clubs thunder towards immediate deal

Manchester United are expected to offload unwanted midfielder Donny van de Beek in the coming days after the club was forced into a dramatic climbdown over his asking price.

The Dutchman was a costly £35m capture from Ajax back in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer days, but has badly struggled to replicate anything close to the form he shows in the Netherlands. Indeed, he has made just 60 appearances for the club, a large chunk of which have come off the bench, with Van de Beek managing just two goals in that time.

For a man who earned a repuation as a goalscoring midfielder in the Eredivisie, that has simply not been good enough and even the appointment of his former Ajax mentor in Erik ten Hag has failed to get a tune out of the player.

As a result, it was no surprise to see Van de Been outlined as one of several players put up for sale by United this summer. However, just like the likes of Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay, United found that a lack of interest, coupled with their inflated asking prices, has seen potential moves fail to get off the ground.

Despite his lack of impact at Old Trafford, Van de Beek has still found plenty of interest in his services from overseas. However, with United reportedly seeking a fee of around £12m to £15m, reported links to Real Sociedad for Van de Beek failed to see the LaLiga side push through a move.

Given they can offer the player Champions League football and are one of LaLiga’s more upwardly-progressive clubs, a move to San Sebastian would have proved an excellent outcome for the 26-year-old Dutchman.

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Donny van de Beek ready for Turkey transfer

It was a similar story for Van de Beek with French side Lorient also pulling out of a deal. And while the reason was partly attributed to Van de Beek’s attitude, United’s attempts to claw back a large fee over his sale ultimately saw the deal collapse.

Now the Red Devils have been forced into a dramatic climbdown over his price in order to facilitate his move away from Old Trafford.

To that end, rather than a demand a £12m to £15m fee for his services, United are now willing to accept a loan deal for the player if it contains some kind of obligation to sign the player, even for a less-than-expected sum.

And ccording to ESPN, that vastly-reduced fee has both Fenerbahce and Galatasaray both looking to secure his signature.

Providing an update on the saga, CBS journalist Ben Jacobs told Givemesport: “I think it’s clear that Donny van de Beek is not part of Erik ten Hag’s plans, but time is running out in various windows, so Manchester United are scrambling to try and find a late solution.

“The club’s preference would be to offload van de Beek, but it hasn’t been routine. The main interest has come from Turkey and there have been some enquiries from Saudi Arabia, but it’s a race against the clock.”

Late solution needed for Van de Beek

Jacobs continued: “Manchester United might be stuck with van de Beek unless they can find a quick and late solution. I think that they may have to surrender on price and, also, they may have to decide to accept a loan with an option or an obligation in order to make something work.

“There is still a possibility that we will get some late movement with van de Beek, but he’s not been the easiest player for Manchester United to find a solution for.”

United’s willingness to almost give Van de Beek away probably tells us he will not be seen in a United shirt again. Contracted to summer 2025, he has recently been left out of their 25-man Champions League squad, having been squeezed further out the picture by the summer signings of Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat.

The Turkish transfer window officially closes for business on Friday 15 September.

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