Berbatov ‘confused’ at VDB lack of Man Utd game time

Lewis Oldham
Berbatov Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Man Utd Donny van de Beek

Dimitar Berbatov has suggested that Donny van de Beek will “go someplace else” if he does not get more game time at Manchester United.

The Dutchman signed for Man United from Ajax for a fee that could reach £40m with add-ons. He had made 175 appearances for Ajax between 2015 and 2020.

The 23-year-old scored in his Premier League debut for Man United as they lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.


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But van de Beek has only managed to make two starts so far in the English top flight. He has made 21 appearances in total, but only nine of them have come as starts.

The midfielder started and impressed as Man United beat Watford 1-0 to advance in the FA Cup. The Red Devils will play Liverpool in the fourth round.

Berbatov told Stadium Astro that van de Beek may need to more “aggressive” in pushing for a starting spot:

“I am confused about why they spent so much on him when he does not play.

“If I was him I would go and knock on the boss’s door and ask the question: ‘Boss what is going on? What do I need to do to get more game-time?’

“It is a confusing situation and I bet he is angry because no player is happy not playing.

“I see just from his face that he is a nice boy, maybe he needs to be a bit more aggressive and angry sometimes and show his displeasure at not playing.

“Simply, when he does get the chance to play he does not have the full confidence with the ball.

“He is trying to go with one or two more touches all of the time just to make sure he makes the right decision.

“Hopefully, that situation will be resolved quickly. Otherwise, he is going to go someplace else to play. If you don’t play, you just find somewhere else to go.”