Manchester United loanee Donny van de Beek axed at half-time after nightmare start to loan move

Donny van de Beek was taken off at half-time after a lacklustre performance for loan club Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday night.

The Manchester United loanee started in the 1-0 victory over Mainz but was axed at the midway point of the match, with the score goalless between the two sides.

Van de Beek, who was deployed in his favoured No. 10 position, struggled to have any impact on the match and only attempted eight passes during his entire time on the pitch. The 26-year-old touched the ball just 14 times and failed to have a shot or complete a key pass before he was replaced by Farès Chaïbi at the interval.

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His situation was exacerbated by the fact that it was Van de Beek's home debut for the club after previously representing them twice on the road since signing.

Van de Beek barely lasted an hour in either of those matches against both RB Leipzig and Darmstadt, with the midfielder struggling for confidence after his arrival from Old Trafford.

Eintracht have paid a minimal loan fee and are covering the majority of Van de Beek's £125,000-a-week wages. They also have the option to make the deal permanent for €11million (£9.55m), with €3m (£2.6m) in add-ons.

The move is the second loan for Van de Beek during his time at United, after he spent a forgettable five months with Everton two years ago.

Van de Beek has played 62 times for United and scored only two goals. He has had only 19 minutes of playing time this season and it is approaching three years since he last played for the Netherlands national team.

United signed Van de Beek from Ajax