Has Donny van de Beek finally found the key to his Manchester United prison door cell?
For so long a captive of the Old Trafford guards, the Dutchman might be able to escape through the fire exit. Waiting for him on the other side in a getaway van is the Crystal Palace rescue team.
According to Sky Sports and numerous other media outlets, the Eagles are keen to bring the midfielder into their nest for the rest of the season.
They want to do so on a loan deal, which would give Van de Beek about four months to dust off the rust before a final decision is made on his future at Old Trafford.
United don’t want to include a permanent option in the potential deal as they seek to justify the more than £35 million (BBC) they spent on him in 2020.
Is Donny van de Beek breaking free?
Part-time or full-time, the 24-year-old will just want to feel his boot caressing a football once more.
He has come into contact with the ball in just eight games this season and, even then, possession probably evaded him on some of those occasions.
The former jewel in the crown of Ajax might forget how it all works unless United allow him to rewire his system at Palace.
Van de Beek only has to look at Wilfried Zaha to see how beneficial a move to Selhurst Park can be for a player’s career.
Not too far from Zaha
Zaha probably thought he was living a fantasy when the Red Devils paid Palace £15 million (Daily Mail) in 2013 to bring him to the north west.
Just 20 at the time, the exciting winger was still a relatively unknown quantity to the Premier League.
Alex Ferguson made him one of his last signings as manager, but the pair never got to work together.
After agreeing to join Ferguson’s squad, Zaha returned to Palace on loan for the remainder of the campaign. David Moyes then took over the United dugout, yet failed to get the most out of his predecessor’s parting gift.
Zaha spent the majority of the season with Cardiff before returning to Palace on a permanent basis, with his current employers coughing up £10 million (Guardian) to bring him home.
He left Manchester with a mere four appearances to his name. Now, the Ivory Coast international is one of the top-flight’s finest entertainers and mercurial talents.
That should be a lesson to Van de Beek – the grass can be greener away from United’s front lawn. Perhaps he will return to Old Trafford a man reborn?
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