Manchester United are set to lose out on Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek to Real Madrid, as reported by The Mirror.
What's the story?
The Red Devils could have signed the Dutchman for £20m during the summer, but opted not to as they didn't cash in on Paul Pogba.
However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now claimed that he needs midfield recruits, but Real Madrid are already said to have reached an agreement with Ajax to sign him in the summer for £48.6m.
This indecisiveness from the manager and Ed Woodward is a pretty damning indictment of the planning that has been made in dealing with this position.
It is suggested that van de Beek's move to Madrid is 80% certain, despite Man United's desperate efforts after making a u-turn on their stance.
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Costly indecisiveness
This failure in the transfer market could prove costly for the Red Devils, as van de Beek could have acted as an upgrade on the severely-underperforming Jesse Lingard.
The England international failed to score a single Premier League goal in the whole of 2019, something that will be seen as seriously concerning for the 27-year-old.
His overall performances haven't impressed either, as he was slammed for his part in the loss against Arsenal. He hasn't made a tremendous impact in games, averaging 0.9 shots, 1.1 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game.
In contrast, van de Beek has recorded 12 goals and five assists from 23 starts and one substitute appearance, across the Champions League, Eredivisie and KNVB Cup this campaign.
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The Champions League arguably offers the best indication of what the 22-year-old can offer United, due to the level of opposition.
In Europe's biggest club competition, van de Beek managed two goals and one assist from five starts, while averaging 1.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game.
The indication is that van de Beek would have been a definite upgrade on Lingard, though he is now one that they have missed out on.
Meanwhile, FFC has suggested that Man United fans are right to protest against one aspect of the club.