Everton criticised for unnecessary signing of Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek

John Barnes has questioned Everton's decision to sign Donny van de Beek on loan from Manchester United.

The Dutchman swapped Manchester for Merseyside in the dying hours of the January transfer window in pursuit of first-team minutes after managing just four starts in the entirety of his Reds career so far.

Van de Beek, who caught the eye of clubs around Europe during the 2018/19 season, struggled to cement a place in the United XI after his move from Ajax in the summer of 2020.

Despite his big-money move, he couldn't work his way into the plans of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - prior to his sacking - and then Ralf Rangnick. With his game time-limited, the interim manager gave him the green light to move on.

But with the current quality in the Blues midfield, Barnes feels the late additions of the 24-year-old and Dele Alli from Tottenham was unnecessary.

Barnes told Bonus Code Bets: "I don’t think Everton necessarily needed someone in that position - Doucoure’s been good, Allan’s been good, Gomes as well.

"Donny van de Beek is similar, and from an attacking perspective in midfield, Dele Alli will give them something different, but central midfield isn’t really somewhere they’ve struggled.

"Keeping hold of Calvert-Lewin was important because there was talk of him going to Arsenal. If Everton have everyone fit and the harmony is right, they can really make a push.

"It’ll be interesting to see how they do between now and the end of the season because personnel and player-wise they’re definitely in the top seven or eight teams in the Premier League."