While Bruno Fernandes has not been contributing the levels of goals and assists that he was when he first joined Manchester United, he has still been a key part of Erik ten Hag's plans this season. However, against West Ham he received his fifth yellow card of the season ruling him out of the club's next Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.
Therefore Ten Hag needs to find a solution. Unai Emery may have only been Aston Villa manager for a few days but it is almost certain he will adopt a similar approach to the style of football he utilised at Villarreal; a deep compact low block that looks to counter-attack and catch the opponent in transitions.
Therefore a player that can work in tight spaces, find the gaps, and offer an outlet for the United attackers to pass to when the opposition tries to outnumber them would be very useful. So in comes Donny van de Beek.
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Van de Beek's United career hasn't gone to plan so far. Signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a deal that could reach up to £40m, the Dutch attacking midfielder never really got a chance to show the talent that had seen him named on the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or in 2019.
United fans will remember the goal he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in the 2018/19 season. It was a goal that showed his best attributes - his movement, his awareness of space and also his finishing under pressure.
It seemed that he had been brought in as backup for Fernandes, which is probably still the case now, but it seemed that the Norwegian manager was reluctant to drop the midfielder that was so vital to his success at Old Trafford.
However, Ten Hag is the manager that Van de Beek thrived under at Ajax; he best knows his strengths and weaknesses and therefore knows how best to utilise the Dutch attacking midfielder. He offers a different option to Fernandes given that the Portuguese playmaker prefers to influence the game on the ball, whereas Van de Beek's game is defined by what he does off it.
It is unlikely that Van de Beek will ever usurp Fernandes in the pecking order but teams that are aiming to win the title or even just a piece of silverware need to have both rotation options and also players that have different skill sets for different situations. And in that regard, United's number 34 will be a vital piece of the puzzle.
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