NEWCASTLE are set to revive their interest in Manchester United flop Donny van de Beek after missing out on him in summer 2020.
The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund finally completed their £300m takeover of the Magpies last month, after their initial bid fell through last year.
And according to reports, had the takeover bid had been successful, Donny van de Beek, 24, would have been the first player brought to St. James’ Park.
But instead, the player signed for Man Utd for £39m in September 2020, and has had a nightmare 14 months at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Dutchman started only four Premier League games last season and has played just 16 minutes so far this campaign.
He has lost his place in the Dutch national team and despite loving the club and its fans, van de Beek is prepared to quit Old Trafford for first team football.
He was linked with a deadline day loan move to Everton, but the move was blocked by Man Utd, who promised the player he would ‘get his chances’.
Van de Beek left his agent Guido Albers after he failed to negotiate a move away from Old Trafford in the summer, and joined the roster of Ali Dursun.
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Dursun looks after the affairs of van de Beek’s former Ajax teammate Frenkie De Jong, having negotiated his £65m move to Barcelona in 2019.
And with first team opportunities at Man Utd still looking a distant prospect, van de Beek will be looking to Dursun to find him a new club in January.
Newcastle are the frontrunners, with new boss Eddie Howe looking to strengthen his side to help them steer clear of relegation this season.
The Toon are reportedly also interested in van de Beek’s Man Utd teammates Dean Henderson and Jesse Lingard, who have also had struggled for minutes.
Henderson has featured just once for the club since May and Lingard has failed to start a single league game for United since New Year’s Day in 2020.
Both could be offered a lifeline by Newcastle in January, but with Solskjaer’s job hanging by a thread, they could wait to see how that situation pans out first.
SunSport reported that Brendan Rodgers is now Man Utd’s first choice to succeed Solskjaer, moving ahead of Zinedine Zidane and Erik Ten Hag.
And speculation has continued to mount as Rodgers was spotted house-hunting in Chesire ahead of a potential switch from Leicester to Old Trafford.
Should Rodgers be appointed, the out-of-favour Man Utd trio could wait to see if they will be given an opportunity to earn their places back in the team.
But the appeal of the Newcastle project will certainly be tempting, with co-owner Amanda Staveley saying the club wants to challenge for trophies soon.
If van de Beek does leave Old Trafford in January, it is unclear whether it will be on loan or a permanent move.
But the Dutchman will surely be keen to get his long-term future sorted, having recently announced that he and his partner are expecting their first child.
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