Manchester United may live to rue their decision not to let Donny van de Beek head out on loan.
The Dutch midfielder was a peripheral figure for the Red Devils last term despite arriving for £40m last summer.
Opportunities were few and far between with only four league starts coming his way and Everton were keen on adding the former Ajax man for the season.
A switch to Goodison Park may have allowed the Dutchman to rediscover his mojo but Van de Beek's agent suggested that United were not keen on letting him go.
"There was a lot of interest from Italy, Germany, England, so that looked good. But you need co-operation of the club, and it looked like they would, but ultimately they didn't," he told Voetbal International.
"Disappointed, but also assuring for him, so that he will get his chance, and will get his minutes, but this will become clear in due time.
"He's been promised that before, but we came to a clear agreement about this with the club, so we have all faith that it will happen now."
The agent's apprehension is clear after last season, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is adamant Van de Beek will feature more heavily this time round.
"Donny will be important for us," he said recently.
The question we all have is how?
Three games into the new season and Van de Beek has played... you guessed it: no minutes.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that Bruno Fernandes will be the No.10 on a weekly basis and Solskjaer showed no desire to rest him last term.
Paul Pogba is also an able deputy, whilst also playing in various other positions, with Solskjaer regularly playing Fred and Scott McTominay as his midfield anchors. Nemanja Matic also remains an option.
That leaves Van de Beek having to play out of position if he is to get more minutes, although his skillset doesn't make that a problem.
In his Ajax days he played as a lone striker, scoring against Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League.
But the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo is set to shut off that avenue with Solskjaer already having to spin enough plates in keeping Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood, who has played as a No.9, happy.
That leaves Van de Beek having to play out wide, but that hardly suits United's fast-paced counter-attacking game.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are far more suited to those positions - as is new addition Jadon Sancho.
Greenwood has also played his best football from wider roles.
The decision to sell Daniel James is already an admission that United have too many players for not enough positions.
They cashed in on the Welshman, making a profit, and before too long the question will be asked as to whether they should've cashed in on the Dutchman.
But they didn't even have to. Sending him out on loan and addressing the situation in a year when the player himself has further acclimatised to English football.
Alas, with the club having invested £40m there is a determination to make the move work.
It leaves Solskjaer in a tricky spot. It only takes so many fingers and thumbs to work out that United's attacking options are going to see some players miss out.
History suggests Van de Beek could be that man.
In keeping the 24-year-old the United boss already written the press conference script that is titled: 'Why isn't Donny getting more minutes. Part 2.'
