Everton receive possible boost as Barcelona boss Xavi rejects the idea of signing £35m target
Throughout the summer, Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek was the talk of the town in Merseyside. The blue half were warming up to the name of the Dutchman as Everton tried to sign him on loan from the Red Devils.
An agreement was reached between Everton and the player, the club was willing to pay the loan fees to Manchester United but the Red Devils rejected the loan idea and the deal fell through. Van de Beek has been struggling for game time since his £35 million switch from Ajax in 2020 which has seen his growth stagnate.
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Everton director of football Marcel Brands spoke in an interview about making an inquiry for the Dutchman but the deal not going through. There was definite interest and come January, the Merseysiders may make another attempt to sign the 24 year old.
The former Ajax man has been restricted to just 198 minutes of football and is yet to start a Premier League game this season. His agent is trying to find him a new club as the Dutchman pushes to leave the Red Devils in the winter transfer window.
Barcelona not interested in signing Everton target Donny van de Beek
After it became clear that Van de Beek is seeking newer pastures, a host of clubs have been linked to him. Newcastle United, Juventus and Wolves have joined Everton in the pursuit to sign the United outcast.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, new Barcelona manager Xavi was presented with the opportunity to sign the midfielder but the Spaniard turned down the idea as the Blaugrana are filled with an exciting group of midfielders.
With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leaving Manchester United, there might be hope that things could change for Van de Beek but if interim manager Michael Carrick chooses to ignore the midfielder like Solskjaer, a January exit is definitely on the cards. His agent, Ali Dursun, continues to offer the former Ajax midfielder to clubs which is a sign that the player has made up his mind.
The Toffees need to bolster their squad depth and acquiring Van de Beek will certainly be a forward step. Currently, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andre Gomes and Tom Davies are out injured, leaving Allan, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin as the only available midfielders. Rafa Benitez doesn’t seem to trust Gbamin completely; hence having an extra midfielder like Van de Beek who can execute multiple roles could be beneficial for the team.
The 24 year old has also been tipped to join Benitez’s side and leave Manchester in the winter transfer window. However, Everton are likely to face stern competition from other sides even though Barcelona are not looking to sign the midfielder.
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Will Everton manage to beat the competition and sign Donny van de Beek?