Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands has revealed that Donny van de Beek came very close to joining the Toffees in the summer transfer window and that he may still complete the move to Goodison Park.
The Dutch international has found it hard to break into the Manchester United side since his arrival from Ajax a year ago and there was a great deal of speculation in the summer that he might be loaned, with Everton one of the clubs linked, but it did not happen.
However, speaking to Dutch outlet Nos, Brands explained how close he came to completing the summer deal.
‘We had him on our list,’ he said.
‘At the beginning of the transfer window, we inquired at United, then it was impossible. At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute it was cancelled. stopped again.’
The reason for the possible u-turn remains a mystery to the Everton hierarchy, but it has not dissuaded them from trying again should the opportunity arise in January.
‘You always depend on whether a club wants to cooperate. And it is early October, so much can still happen with injuries. United are playing on various fronts, it’s hard to say now.
‘It is of course a pity for Donny. He is a very good player, no doubt about it. Such a boy wants to play and wants to return to the Dutch national team.
‘But you know that at such a club the pressure is great and the competition is huge. When you see what United had sitting on the bench: Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba…’
United will not thank Brands for washing their dirty laundry in public and it speaks volumes in regard to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s opinion of Van de Beek that a deal came so close to fruition, especially one to a Premier League rival.
The 24-year-old was visibly upset to be overlooked again when left on the bench in United’s 2-1 victory over Villareal last week, throwing his chewing gum at the dugout and needing to be consoled by his fellow subs.