Donny van de Beek sends message to Man United fans as club take £35million transfer hit with cut-price move
Manchester United are taking a huge loss on Donny van de Beek as he has agreed to join Girona on a permanent basis.
The Dutch midfielder will move the LaLiga club in a deal worth an initial €500,000 [£423,000].
Girona will be playing in next year's Champions League after Manchester City - their parent club - were granted permission to play in the same competition as the Spanish side.
Add-ons could bring the fee for the 27-year-old up to around £4.5m.
That represents a massive hit of £35m for Man United, who signed Van de Beek in 2020 from Ajax in a deal worth up to £40million.
This came after he broke into the first team at Ajax and proved himself as one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe.
READ MORE ON MAN UNITED
Unfortunately his time at Old Trafford simply hasn't gone to plan, with the Dutch star making just 62 appearances in four years, scoring two goals in the process.
Van de Beek played seven games on loan at Everton in the 2021/22 campaign and hoped to reignite his career under Erik ten Hag following his appointment that summer.
Ten Hag managed the midfielder at Ajax, but Van de Beek managed just 12 appearances under his old boss at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman then joined Eintract Frankfurt last term with the German side holding a £9.5m option to sign the midfielder permanently.
Most read in Football
However that option was refused after he failed to impress in eight appearances for the club.
Van de Beek will be hoping to reignite his career under Michel at Girona, with the modest transfer fee ridding him of any expectation and allowing the 27-year-old to show his best.
Signing off from Old Trafford, he posted a message to fans on Instagram.
"Dear Manchester United family. Today is a memorable day as my adventure at the club comes to an end.
"I want to thank you all for your support throughout the years. From the moment we arrived at Manchester United, we felt extremely welcome and we are grateful for that.
"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."