The rumours linking Everton with Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek simply won't go away as the January transfer window edges closer.

What's the story?

Speculation regarding the 24-year-old's possible switch to Goodison Park began over the summer after he struggled to settle at Old Trafford, with Marcel Brands openly admitting that the engine room operator was on his list of potential targets.

“We had him on our list. At the beginning of the transfer window, we enquired at United, then it was impossible,” the Toffees' director of football told Dutch outlet NOS.

“At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute, it was cancelled. Stopped again.”

Recent reports revealed that Van de Beek has since changed his agent in order to push through a move away from Old Trafford, while ESPN journalist Mark Ogden has claimed that Everton are still keen to secure the Dutchman's services.

"I think when January comes Everton are quite keen to take Van de Beek but it depends," Ogden said on Fabrizio Romano's Twitch channel. "If a new manager comes in, he might want to say to Van de Beek: ‘I’m going to give you a chance’. So everything depends on who the manager is."

Everton fans will be buzzing

After securing a domestic double with boyhood club Ajax and playing a pivotal part in their run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, Van de Beek’s arrival on English shores the following year was greeted with some fanfare.

However, things have not worked out for him with the Red Devils. The creative talent has started just four Premier League games since arriving for £40m in September 2020 and, going into this weekend's fixtures, he has received just six minutes of league action in the current campaign.

His lack of first team opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite United's troubles on the pitch have understandably led to growing frustrations from within the player's camp, so an imminent exit could be on the cards.

Despite his Old Trafford struggles, Van de Beek has shown during his time with Ajax that he is well capable of providing a cutting edge and creative threat from midfield, scoring 41 goals and setting up another 34 in 175 appearances for the Amsterdam club.

A large section of Everton fans could well be buzzing with excitement at the prospect of Van de Beek filling a James Rodriguez-sized creative hole in the first team, but as Ogden states, any decision over his future could depend on who is in the United dugout over the winter transfer window.

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