Everton have received a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.

What's the story?

According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf (as relayed by Metro), the 24-year-old has decided to change his agent in order to secure an Old Trafford exit ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

Van de Beek was heavily linked with a move to the Toffees over the summer, with director of football 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,” Brand 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.”

However, Van de Beek has now replaced Albers with Ali Dursun as he desperately attempts to end his 18-month Manchester nightmare, with Everton, Newcastle United and Juventus all believed to be monitoring the situation.

Rafa Benitez will be buzzing

After scoring 41 goals and laying on a further 34 assists for his teammates in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, Van de Beek arrived on English shores with an enviable reputation.

However, the physical demands and fast-paced nature of the Premier League often seemed to overwhelm the technically gifted midfielder last season, limiting him to just four starts in the top flight throughout 2020/21.

It was reported that the Netherlands international had bulked up over the summer, though, after missing Euro 2020 through injury, and United teammate Bruno Fernandes lauded Van de Beek's extra efforts during pre-season.

"As a professional player you always prepare for your season before you come back for training, you always do something before, and I think everyone was doing their jobs at home,” the Portugal star told the official Manchester United website.

“Yes, he’s (Van de Beek) working hard and working hard in the gym. Obviously, he is one of the quality players we know, and now he’s building up,” he added.

Nevertheless, the £22.5m-rated gem has found opportunities hard to come by at the Theatre of Dreams once again in the current campaign, starting just two games in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Van de Beek's current predicament and his desire to depart United will surely leave Everton manager Rafael Benitez buzzing with excitement as he searches for a creative talent to replace James Rodriguez, and he'll likely be asking Brands to revive his interest in the Dutch midfielder over the winter transfer window. The 24-year-old's change of agent might help to get a move pushed through.

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