Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has insisted that the door is still open for Donny van de Beek to make a name for himself at Old Trafford.
The former Ajax man burst onto the scene under his compatriot in Amsterdam before earning a £34m move to the Theatre of Dreams in the summer of 2020.
However, Van de Beek has failed to become a consistent part of the club's plans under any of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and now Ten Hag.
The Netherlands international has been restricted to just five appearances in all competitions this season, playing just 88 minutes in total, although injuries have not helped his cause.
All in all, Van de Beek has registered two goals and two assists in 55 games for the Red Devils, but he has only started four Premier League matches since his arrival.
© Reuters
The 25-year-old is still contracted to Man United until 2025 with the option of a further year, and Ten Hag has insisted that the midfielder could still have a future at the club.
When asked by reporters if Man United had to chalk off Van de Beek's signing as a failed move, Ten Hag responded: "Yes, but that can't be now.
"Because he had quite a good pre-season, he was injured, now he is back, last week he came and I think he played very well, 50 minutes, and I think today was a decent performance.
"I know he can do better because I know (him) very well, but he delivered what I expected in terms of positioning and also pressing, in terms of transition. But I think he can do more and that's his biggest quality — he can be more of a threat to an opponent's goal.
"I don't know [Why he has struggled]. I can only talk about my time here. In my time here, he is performing well in the game-time we gave him."
© Reuters
Van de Beek came off the bench in Man United's first three Premier League games of the season, but he has not made a top-flight appearance since August's victory over Liverpool.
However, a spot could open up for the Dutchman to earn some more minutes against Aston Villa, as Bruno Fernandes will miss out for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Van de Beek played 58 minutes as Man United recorded a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in the Europa League this week, but that was not enough for the Red Devils to progress as group winners.
Ten Hag's side will now face a knockout round playoff tie against a third-placed Champions League team, and they sit fifth in the Premier League table ahead of their clash with Unai Emery's side.
