Erik ten Hag has confirmed he is looking forward to working with Donny van de Beek at Manchester United.
Van de Beek rose to prominence as one of Europe's most exciting young midfielders at Ajax under Ten Hag. Van de Beek played an instrumental role in Ajax reaching the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final and he flourished under the Dutchman's tutelage.
Ten Hag reluctantly sold Van de Beek to United in 2020 and the player was expected to continue his progress at Old Trafford. Van de Beek's career has regressed instead and he was sent out on loan to Everton in January in search of regular minutes.
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There was no option to make the deal for Van de Beek permanent and he's set to return to United for pre-season next month.
Van de Beek made just two starts in the Premier League across the entirety of 2021 for United and he played 380 minutes across all competitions for the Reds this season before his switch to Merseyside, but his fortunes could change under Ten Hag.
Ten Hag had a brilliant working relationship with Van de Beek at Ajax and he was asked about the player on Monday afternoon.
"Yes, of course, we had a fantastic squad in that time in Ajax," Ten Hag said.
"I really had a good relationship with him and, of course, I'm looking forward to meeting him again on the pitch."
Van de Beek is expected to be one of the biggest winners at United from Ten Hag's appointment.
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