Imagine him & Ten Hag: Man Utd could unearth Pogba 2.0 in "versatile" £100k-p/w dynamo - opinion

Manchester United are on the verge of completing their appointment of Erik ten Hag who will join the club this summer, and the arrival of the new manager could spell a second chance for Donny Van de Beek at Old Trafford.

Paul Pogba is set to leave following his rejection of a huge £500k-per-week contract from the club to extend his contract beyond June this year, with his exit and Ten Hag’s imminent appointment, it could be the perfect opportunity for Van de Beek to come back from his Everton loan spell to a starting role in the new era for the Red Devils.

The Man United midfielder, who was hailed “versatile” by Michael Carrick, joined the club in September 2020 for around £35m from his boyhood club Ajax Amsterdam, however, he was not given the opportunity to make an impact within the side – making only four Premier League starts over the last two seasons, and is now on loan at Everton until the end of the current campaign.

With the wheels in motion for Ten Hag to join Manchester United this summer, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Dutch coach unleashes his prodigy in his new team as a replacement for Pogba, especially when you consider the calibre of player Van de Beek was under his former manager…

During his time at Ajax, the 25-year-old scored 41 goals and registered 34 assists over 175 appearances overall, as well as winning the Eredivisie title, the Dutch Cup in 2018/19 and, in 2019, playing a key role in the Ajax team that got to the club’s first Champions League semi-final since 1997, with five goals in the competition under the guidance of Ten Hag.

The Netherlands native coach sang the praises of his player when Van de Beek was on his way to Old Trafford back in 2020, saying: “He is an absolute key player for us,