Manchester United are among the most photographed clubs in the world, never mind the Premier League, and yet the vast majority of the pictures of Donny van de Beek on Getty Images this season are images of him taking part in pre-match warm-ups.
Van de Beek has often been anonymous when he's played for the club and he's now becoming anonymous away from the pitch. The new campaign started six weeks ago and Van de Beek has played just 19 minutes across that period. Van de Beek thought his move to Old Trafford was a dream in the summer of 2020 but it has clearly turned into a relentless nightmare, which he can't escape.
United signed Van de Beek for £35million two years ago and that seemed like remarkable value. Van de Beek has hardly played during his time at United and that transfer fee now seems like a waste instead. Old Trafford has become a graveyard for new signings over the last decade and Van de Beek's name deserves to be added to the club's extensive catalogue of recruitment mistakes.
ALSO READ: The Man United player who made Premier League history in two seconds
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted to sign Van de Beek and yet he did not play him during his reign. Solskjaer was perceived to be guilty of mismanaging Van de Beek, but there have been three managers since the Norwegian and they have all shared his opinion.
Van de Beek has not impressed Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick or Erik ten Hag enough to start during the respective tenures of each manager, and that is damning regarding the latter. Ten Hag's appointment was supposed to be good news for Van de Beek.
Ten Hag was the manager who helped Van de Beek establish himself as one of Europe's most exciting midfielders at Ajax and the pair had a productive working relationship, which led to the player having a pivotal role in the 2018/19 Champions League campaign.
Ajax reached the semi-finals of the Champions League that season and Van de Beek was outstanding playing at No.10. Van de Beek was playing the best football of his career and his performances caught the eye of Solskjaer, who was keen to sign him.
Van de Beek had struggled during his time in Manchester, but his fortunes seemed set to change with Ten Hag at the club. Ten Hag knows him better than any manager and it was thought he would provide Van de Beek with opportunities in the first-team.
"Yes, of course," Ten Hag said in May when asked whether he was looking forward to reuniting with him. "We had a fantastic squad in that time at Ajax. I really had a good relationship with him. I am looking forward to meeting him again on the pitch."
Although Van de Beek only started one game on United's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, he played in all four of the matches and recorded 202 minutes. Ten Hag gave just seven outfield players more minutes than Van de Beek.
That was promising for Van de Beek, but the obvious caveat is that Tyrell Malacia was the only new signing on that tour. Christian Eriksen and Casemiro are now part of the squad and that has meant Van de Beek has continued to be a fringe player.
There has been no room for Van de Beek in Ten Hag's starting line ups this season and he has been given lowkey cameos Brighton, Brentford and Liverpool, which add up to 19 minutes. Van de Beek was also an unused substitute for Southampton and Leicester.
If Van de Beek can't win a starting position under Ten Hag, then his days at the club are numbered. The calls to play Van de Beek have grown quieter with each month and it's hard to disagree with those that claim he just isn't good enough to start for United.
Van de Beek has been absent from the last three matchday squad with injury and he was not included in the Netherlands' squad this week for the international break, but his omission from the squad was not due to concerns over his fitness - it never has been.
Former United boss Louis van Gaal has consistently omitted Van de Beek from his plans during his time as the Netherlands' manager and he has always maintained in his press conference that the 25-year-old needs to regularly play to make his squad.
It will take a miracle for Van de Beek to make the Netherlands' squad for the World Cup and he will be aware of that. His time at United has deeply damaged his national team prospects and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, even under Ten Hag.
Van de Beek simply has to leave the club for the sake of his own career. He will likely have to wait until the summer, considering the enormous number of fixtures United have to play, but the decision seems inevitable at the end of the season.
The sad truth is that Van de Beek is just not the player United thought they were signing.
READ MORE:
