Donny van de Beek has announced his departure from Manchester United in advance of joining Girona of Spain.
The Netherlands international joined Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2020 after Real Madrid expressed interest in signing the midfield player for United.
The 27-year-old, nevertheless, is expected to cost United a significant amount of money because he is leaving for a fresh start with Girona in Spain after four utterly disappointing seasons.
For £34.7 million plus £4.4 million in add-ons, United acquired van de Beek. The La Liga team will lose a pitiful £500,000 as a result of his transfer to Girona.
In an emotional Instagram post to his followers, Van van Beek announced his resignation and thanked them for his “unforgettable” experience.
He wrote, “Dear Manchester United family.” “As my adventure at the club comes to an end, today is a memorable day.”
All of you have my gratitude for your support throughout the years. We are appreciative of Manchester United for making us feel so welcome from the time we arrived.
‘Thank you to everyone at the club for making us feel at home. A special thanks to all the fans that made these years unforgettable.
‘Besides the football, the birth of our two children here ensures that Manchester will always have a special place in our hearts. Good luck to everybody, we’ll meet again.’
Van de Beek was signed under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign but started just four league matches under the Norwegian in his first season in England.
In his second season, the Dutchman failed to start in the Premier League at all and following Solskjaer’s exit, was loaned out to Everton for the second-half of the season.
The appointment of Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford offered fresh hope. Van de Beek was an important figure under ten Hag in the Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 but his fortunes at United did not improve.
He played nine times, just three of those starts, before a knee injury ended his season in January 2023.
After struggling to offload him, United omitted van de Beek from their Champions League squad at the start of the 2023-24 season. He joined Frankfurt in January in a deal that included an option to buy – one not taken up by the Bundesliga side.
Van de Beek will leave United after making just 62 appearances in four years, scoring two goals.