Jamie Redknapp believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already regrets bringing the player to Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United appear to be in top form at the moment. After suffering a 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, they have looked like a team transformed.
Following the international break, they have registered wins over Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig while also managing a 0-0 draw against a strong Chelsea side. And they looked as good as they ever have following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in their 5-0 win over the Bundesliga leaders in the Champions League.
And while Solskjaer must be delighted with his side’s recent performances, Jamie Redknapp believes that the manager is already regretting his decision to sign Donny van de Beek in the summer.
While talking on Pitch to Post Podcast and as reported by Metro, the pundit said:
"‘He [Van de Beek] is a talent, we’ve seen that when he’s played for Ajax and Holland.‘But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees him day in, day out. If a player is good enough, he plays.‘Solskjaer obviously doesn’t think he’s right for the team yet. Perhaps he isn’t fit enough or isn’t showing enough in training.‘You saw when Fabinho first came to Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp didn’t play him. But it wasn’t a big deal or a big focus at the time because they were doing so well and they had other players.‘Liverpool had that luxury but Manchester United don’t. If he was at Liverpool, it wouldn’t be a big deal but because it’s United and they’re struggling, everyone wants to see him.‘But the problem is, where do you play him? It’s a very difficult one for Solskjaer and he probably would rather have not had him, if he’s totally honest, and would rather have that £40m on another centre back and bolster the area where they definitely do have problems.’"
At the end of the day, Van de Beek just arrived in English football and he needs some time to adjust. Redknapp’s own example of Fabinho contradicts his comments.
Manchester United are not doing terribly at the moment. In fact, they are doing very well. And the competition in midfield is better than it has been in a long, long time. So much so that even Paul Pogba has found him on the bench over the last couple of weeks. If the Red Devils were struggling for form, you can rest assured that Solskjaer would have given more starting opportunities to the Dutchman already.
But as things stand, it looks like he will have to sit on the bench for a little while longer. But that is nothing unnatural for a youngster coming to a club the size of United. With Pogba’s future up in the air as well, Van de Beek’s time might come earlier than most expect.