Crystal Palace's pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek looks like it could be over.
The Eagles registered their interest in taking the Netherlands international on loan for the rest of the season earlier this week, with Van de Beek unhappy with his playing time at United this season.
The 24-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game this season and has been largely underused at Old Trafford since his £35million arrival from Ajax in the summer of 2020, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that United will almost certainly let the midfielder leave on loan before Monday's deadline.
Palace were strong favourites to take Van de Beek to Selhurst Park at one point but a late swoop from Everton over the weekend seems to have changed everything, with the Athletic reporting the midfielder has chosen a move to Goodison Park.
Frank Lampard, who is expected to be announced as the Toffees' new manager on Sunday, had made Van de Beek his priority signing ahead of Monday's deadline, with the club covering the full cost of the midfielder's wages for the duration of the loan deal.
This is a blow for Palace and for Patrick Vieira, who said this month he was hoping to add players with experience into his squad following their slender 2-1 FA Cup victory over Millwall.
The Frenchman wasn't pleased with how his side played at times against their Championship counterparts, stressing the need afterwards for them to add to their ranks.
"We talk about which part of the team and the game we need to improve," said Vieira. "So I speak a lot to the chairman [Steve Parish] and to Dougie [Freedman, sporting director] about the feeling that I have and what we are missing in which part of the game we need to improve.
"When you're looking at the last game that we played at Millwall and you're looking at how young we were, how inexperienced the team can be at times.
"We know that we have young talent but those young talents need to be supported by players we have a lot of experience and I think it's always good for the manager and for myself to have different characteristics in different positions as well.
"If it happens, it's good. If it doesn't happen then I am pleased with the players that we have."
