What Everton ace Donny van de Beek could have offered Leeds United with Manchester United switch

Leeds tried to sign 21-year-old RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson in the January transfer window but the Austrian outfit were unwilling to part with the US international, despite bids of £15m and £20m.

As other potential options, the YEP understands that United were also offered the chance to sign Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Winks and Manchester United's van de Beek.

After discussions with Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa, the YEP understands that Leeds opted not to explore either option any further.

Winks instead stayed put whilst van de Beek sealed a loan move to Everton who United then faced in just their second game following the closure of the January transfer window in Saturday's Premier League clash at Goodison Park.

Quite how van de Beek would have fitted in at Leeds is open to debate but the 24-year-old certainly produced a strong performance in the weekend clash against the Whites which marked his full Everton debut.

The Dutchman lined up alongside Allan in the middle of the park in which he was largely in combat with United's Mateusz Klich plus Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas either side in a 3-3-1-3 although Dallas was forced off in the ninth minute and replaced by the very promising Leo Hjelde.

Van de Beek then faced a different opponent in the second half as Klich was replaced by Adam Forshaw.

But by then the dominant Toffees were already 2-0 up and van de Beek was responsible for setting up the game's opening goal.

As Everton built possession around the Whites box, the Toffees loanee showed good movement to produce a run around the right side of the Whites defence and was picked out by a through ball.

Van de Beek then sent in an inviting cross which Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have probably converted but for Diego Llorente's intervention, only for the ball to spin across goal, allowing Seamus Coleman to head home from close range.

That was van de Beek's most telling contribution but an important one in setting up the opening goal in a 3-0 victory although Everton were completely dominant and offered 20 attempts at goal compared to United's seven, none of which were on target.

Leeds lacked creativity in their midfield and Van de Beek was a thorn in their side, despite not being responsible for any of Everton's 20 attempts on goal.

The Dutchman had 53 touches of the ball and boasted the best passing completion rate of any player from either side to play the full 90 minutes.

Thirty five of his 40 attempted passes were accurate, including his cross which led to Everton's opener, whilst the Manchester United man also contributed in a strong sphere defensively.

The midfielder won four out of his six attempted tackles and only Luke Ayling bettered that with nine.

On the flip side, van de Beek was dispossessed twice and also fouled twice but the recent Toffees recruit also won three out of four attempted aerial battles.

The midfielder looked in trouble when going to ground injured midway through the second half but eventually resumed action and went on to play the full duration of the game.

By the end of it, he was a strong contender for the man of the match award and there can be no denying that the Dutchman had a very good game.

Quite whether it would have been the same at Leeds is another matter entirely and one swallow does not make a summer.

It must also be remembered that United had four key players out injured for the clash at Everton, one of whom is the cornerstone of their midfield in Kalvin Phillips who is still out along with Patrick Bamford, Liam Cooper and Junior Firpo.

The latter's absence also has a particular impact on where midfield option Dallas plays and Dallas himself was then added to the injury list in the ninth minute.

In short, United's midfield will and would look very different with a clean bill of health but van de Beek's display against the club that could have signed him nevertheless definitely gave food for thought.

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