Erik ten Hag has already indicated he is unlikely to stand in Donny van de Beek's way if the midfielder does decide to seek a move away from Manchester United in the transfer window.

Van de Beek, 26, has struggled to live up to expectations since moving to Old Trafford back in 2020 and was forced to watch the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign from the sidelines after undergoing surgery for a nasty knee injury he sustained back in January.

After playing a starring role in the Ajax team that thrived under Ten Hag before his ill-fated Premier League switch, Van de Beek is expected to attract interest this summer even in spite of his underwhelming stint at United.And the midfield maestro refused to rule out the prospect of moving on after notching a stunning strike in United's 1-0 win over Lyon on Wednesday. Van de Beek said: "For now, it’s hard to say where my future is. I’ve come back now after injury and I’m fit now, so I play my first minutes after training for a few weeks, so I try to push as hard as possible.

"Every day [something] can happen, so it’s hard to say now where my future will be. In football you never know, especially with me, so let’s see what happens."

Manchester United are known to be open to selling fringe players in the transfer window in a bid to raise additional funds. The club have already wrapped up deals for Mason Mount and Andre Onana, but Ten Hag is still hoping to sign more players.Given that Ten Hag is operating with a limited transfer budget, tough decisions may have to be made when it comes to raising funds. And although Van de Beek played a pivotal role for Ten Hag at Ajax before the duo parted ways, the United chief made it clear last season that the midfielder would be moved on if he was unable to make an impact.

Speaking back in November amid reports of Van de Beek leaving the club on loan, Ten Hag said: "I’ve seen him better in the past. But I think positioning-wise, he’s acting quite well. But he has to make that step up. I don’t think a loan [makes] sense. It’s either he fights [for] himself and proves himself, in this atmosphere in this environment, or he goes.

"But for me, there is still a way for him, there is still a perspective for him. It’s not going to be easy because the competition there is really strong."