January 7th 2024.
Erik Ten Hag knows that signing for Manchester United can be a daunting prospect for any player. He has seen first-hand the struggles that a number of his new signings have faced since he took over at the club.
The Red Devils have had an inconsistent record in the transfer market since Alex Ferguson's retirement, with some successes but a lot of expensive flops or over-priced mediocrity. This has not changed under Ten Hag's management, with the likes of Antony and Sofyan Amrabat struggling to make much impact at the club.
The latest transfer disaster to depart Old Trafford is Donny van de Beek. He has now left the club on loan for Eintracht Frankfurt, having failed to make an impression on the first team since his 2020 move from Ajax.
When asked if Van de Beek's transition from one of Europe's brightest prospects to an outcast at Manchester United would put off other young players from joining, Ten Hag said that it ultimately comes down to the player's confidence.
"That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities," he said. "But I can tell you one thing – the Premier League is tough. Man United, that is tough to play there because the pressure is that high always. You have to deal with that. But if you have confidence in yourself, this is the best challenge and this is definitely the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends on player to player, and it depends especially on the character of the player, their personality."
Donny Van De Beek has had an almost entirely forgettable spell at Manchester United, and Ten Hag believes that this was largely down to the player's persistent injuries.
"He has had many injuries," Ten Hag said. "First of all. I worked now with him for two years [at United] and before he was under different managers here. He had a loan before as well. Actually, from the first moment I came in here at Manchester United, he wasn't the player he was at Ajax because he was injured. So many times he was not available and then he struggled for a long time to recover. That is probably the main reason why he was not playing."
Ten Hag added that the competition for places at the club also hindered Van de Beek's prospects of playing. "We decided for a loan in the summer but it didn't come and then his opportunities are few because also we make appointments and we make agreements with players and contract players in that position. The competition was high."
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