Donny van de Beek might have had an airport taxi driver on standby this summer as Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag plotted an escape route for his one-time Ajax protégé.
For whatever reason, things have not gone to plan for Van de Beek since his £35million move to Old Trafford from the Eredivisie three years ago now. Even a reunion with Ten Hag did not improve his fortune or help him tot up the Premier League airmiles that would have, finally, justified his transfer fee.
Injury cut short his involvement last season and that cruel intervention looked to be the final chance gone. Van de Beek recovered and sharpened up his shooting boots during the pre-season programme, but they were soon to be packed up and, seemingly, readied for hand luggage.
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"It's hard to say where my future is," said Van de Beek during an honest reflection of where he might stand at the club in pre-season. "I've come back now after injury and I'm fit now, so I played my first minutes after training for a few weeks and I'll try to push as hard as possible this season."
He continued: "Every day [something] can happen, so it's hard to say now where my future will be. In football you never know, especially with me, let's see what happens."
That last sentence particularly hits home. Van de Beek has simply not been able to catch a break.
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Starting just six Premier League games since swapping Amsterdam for Manchester during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Netherlands risked everything to take the next step in his career after shining for Ten Hag at Ajax, especially so during their magical run to the Champions League semi-finals together in 2019.
United have returned to the marquee European competition themselves this season, but Van de Beek was brutally axed from their 25-man squad for the group-stages after failing to secure a departure this summer, one which even seemed likely after all the major leagues had already wrapped-up their business.
So far had Van de Beek's stock fallen, he was subsequently thrust onto the radar for possible suitors in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but even a lucrative switch to the latter would not hit the right note for the ousted Netherlands man. He just wants to play football, but might a surprise chance be around the corner?
Van de Beek is way, way down the pecking order at United right now, so much so that Hannibal, Scott McTominay and Dan Gore have jumped ahead, but there are mounting injury problems within the squad, and matches will continue to come thick and fast in several competitions.
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes must be wrapped up in cotton wool and it would be unwise to risk them when the Carabao Cup trophy defence kicks-off against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night. Summer signings, Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat, are only just edging back to fitness, too.
Aside from protecting the names above, that midweek contest is, also, another chance to put Van de Beek back in the shop window. That would be a win-win situation for United which could, in turn, perhaps even allow the player to re-ignite his stuttering career.
As the 26-year-old himself admits, you never know what could happen after that.
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