Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek has insisted he still trusts manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite the Arsenal-linked midfielder failing to make a first-team appearance so far this season.
The Dutchman was brought in from Ajax in the summer of 2020 for £35million but was a surprisingly peripheral figure during his first season at Old Trafford.
With midfield problems of their own, Mikel Arteta and Edu were said to be weighing up a move for Van de Beek in July, according to 90min, but he has now insisted that the best thing to do is trust his current manager.
“If he doesn’t need me I think he will let me go," Van de Beek told Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five podcast. "I think he has plans for me, I just need to work hard and I hope one day I can show the people what I can do.
“You can never promise a player if he will play or not but I agree that I have to play more. You can train hard every day but in the end you need game time to show your best shape. If you play once in a month you can’t show your best.
"The manager was really positive about me and he said ‘I need you and I want to keep you here because what I see every day in training now is a different Donny'.
“I’m a little bit stronger now and he can see I have one year experience in England. Compared to the beginning he sees a big difference.”
Van de Beek scored on his Red Devils debut last season but made just four starts in the English top flight, with his agent also a constant and vocal critic of the club and Solskjaer.
This summer has seen Arteta strengthen his Arsenal midfield with the signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht adding to the arrival of Thomas Partey 12 months ago.
