Manchester United's ongoing crisis encapsulates the demise that has occurred at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
During his glittering and long-serving tenure, the Scot brought unparalleled success to the club and spearheaded their dominance, scooping 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues in his 27-year spell.
Since his departure, United haven't come close to reaching the heights that were achieved under Ferguson, as mismanagement at the top and consistently poor recruitment in the transfer window has led them on a downward spiral in the decade that followed.
In his near three-year spell at the club between December 2018 and November 2021, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the longest-serving manager in the post-Ferguson era, demonstrating that the managerial position at Man United really has transformed into a poisoned chalice.
Although he didn't manage to win a trophy as manager, the Norwegian did enjoy a certain degree of success in the transfer window, bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo for his second spell, Edinson Cavani, Raphael Varane and perhaps their most successful signing of the past decade, Bruno Fernandes.
While those additions achieved success in their own right, the 50-year-old also brought in his fair share of players who have gone on to endure an underwhelming time at the club, including Daniel James, Odion Ighalo, Alex Telles while Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek were the highest profile of his failed transfers.
Van de Beek arrived in the summer of 2020 from Ajax, joining the club on a five-year deal and was a player they trusted to become a fulcrum in their midfield for several years to come.
How much did Man United sign Donny van de Beek for?
In a season that saw Amad Diallo, Facundo Pellistri and Telles join the club for a combined total of £37m, Van de Beek became their marquee signing at a cost of £35m after chalking up eight goals and six assists in the Eredivisie.
The Netherlands international, who was 23-years-old at the time, was chased by several clubs following his impressive displays in the Champions League in 2018/19, helping Ajax reach the semi-finals against Tottenham.
Real Madrid were said to be battling it out for his signature, but a deal broke down, leaving van de Beek feeling "angry" as United swooped in to land the highly-rated Dutchman.
What was the reaction when Van de Beek signed?
Lauded as the "next Paul Scholes" by United legend Edwin Van der Sar, the hype surrounding the signing of Van de Beek was unprecedented as the Dutchman was met with waves of expectation upon arrival with many believing he had the ability and football brain to thrive in the Premier League.
In full, the ex-United stopper said: "He can play in different positions in midfield – he can be a six or an eight or a 10, he has a great eye for a goal. His technique is brilliant, he can go box to box.
"I’d compare him a little bit to Scholesy, although Scholesy had a cracker of a shot from 30,40 yards out and that’s not Donny’s strength, but he likes to come into the box and chip in with goals."
Rio Ferdinand was another who enjoyed what he saw, as the former Manchester United defender waxed lyrical about the player.
Speaking in 2020, shortly after the signing was announced, he said: “He brings goals, he brings assists, he runs into the box, [he has] a good work ethic and an unbelievable brain. [As an] Ajax guy, he knows how to play good football.
“Imagine van de Beek alongside the likes of Bruno Fernandes, being fed.
"In the last three seasons, if you put him up against any of the midfielders in the Premier League, in terms of goal involvements, he's second, only to Kevin de Bruyne."
With 40 goals and 29 assists in his last three seasons at Ajax, it's clear to see why rivalling De Bruyne for goal contributions would have people salivating over the prospect of seeing him play at United, and Solskjaer echoed that sentiment, saying:
"Donny has all of the technical attributes needed to perform in this team and has the personality required to succeed at Manchester United.
“His ability to see space, time his movements and read the game will really complement the qualities that we have in midfield and his arrival really strengthens the depth of talent we have in that position."
Ultimately, having promised so much hype upon arrival, the Dutchman's career has gone on a downward spiral since joining the club and the 2019 Ballon d'Or nominee is desperate to leave after a rotten three years in Manchester.
What has gone wrong for Van de Beek at Man United?
In three years, the midfielder has only managed six Premier League starts and two goals, one on his debut and one in Solskjaer's last game in charge with a further 30 games coming from the bench.
During his time at the club, the 26-year-old has failed to impress any of his United managers which led to a loan move to Everton in January 2022, although he hoped this would be the catalyst to resurrect his career, the confidence shot midfielder failed at the Toffees too, managing just seven appearances in the league.
With his confidence on the ground, Van de Beek's last hope of rekindling his Man United career was the arrival of his former manager, Erik ten Hag, in the summer of 2022.
The Dutchman would get a few chances last season but struggled to impress, failing to score in ten outings, before suffering a knee injury in January that ended his campaign.
Any hopes of him featuring this season were quickly halted by his exclusion from their 25-man squad for the Champions League group stages while in their opening five Premier League fixtures, van de Beek hasn't even made the bench.
From becoming one of the most productive midfielders on the planet, it's a shame how the talented midfielder's career has unravelled at United but at 26-years-old, there is still time for him to resurrect his footballing powers elsewhere and showcase why he was initially branded the "next Scholes".
