Former Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart has advised Donny van de Beek to leave Manchester United this summer.
Van de Beek moved to Old Trafford last year when Manchester United elected to pay £35m to sign him from Ajax.
His arrival was met with widespread approval, the 24-year-old having established himself as one of the stars of the show in the Netherlands with a series of impressive displays in the Eredivisie and Champions League.
His first year in Manchester has been less than successful, though, with him failing to make a name for himself under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He’s played a peripheral role at best, having to content himself with substitute appearances for much of the campaign.
It’s led to a number of reports that he could leave Manchester United this summer and find himself a better situation elsewhere, something several former Dutch professionals have insisted would be smart.
Van der Vaart is the latest to do so, with the former Tottenham man saying he thinks Van de Beek doesn’t fit in at Manchester United.
“He fitted perfectly into the Ajax system, but he doesn’t fit at United,” he told ESPN.
“If you have the opportunity to go to a team that suits you better and it’s an attractive team, I would definitely go for that.
“If nobody leaves United, he will have to be lucky to get into the starting eleven. He is far too good to sit on the bench for two seasons.
“He needs minutes very quickly. He’s still young, but time flies. A club like Borussia Dortmund would have been a better step for him. Manchester United is perhaps a step too high for him.”
