Dutch legend Marco van Basten has put the boot into Donny van de Beek by claiming that he 'is not that good'.
The 24-year-old midfielder has failed to establish himself at Manchester United following his £35million arrival from Ajax last year and is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Red Devils this season.
Van de Beek rose to prominence at Ajax but has been unable to show his best form in England.
'It just wasn't smart choices. If you say you spoke to Real Madrid and then you go to Manchester United, you are betting way too high,' Van Basten is quoted by Voetbal Zone.
'Van de Beek is not that good. As number 10 at Ajax it is much easier than as number 10 in Spain or England. In the Netherlands you get a lot of help, you get opportunities, but that is not the case abroad.'
The midfielder is yet to feature for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side this season having started just four Premier League matches in 2020-21.
Van de Beek's agent fears Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United will push him even further down the pecking order.
Speaking to Ziggo Sport in Holland, Van de Beek's agent Guido Albers said: 'Cristiano arrived on Friday which we knew was bad news for us.
Ronaldo made a sensational return to Manchester United after leaving Juventus last month
Albers added: '[Paul] Pogba plays on the left, and with Cristiano's arrival it means another extra player in midfield with Pogba moving away from the left.
'We had conversations with Solskjaer and the board. We took the initiative to find a club and our search ended up at Everton. We opened talks with Marcel Brands and Farhad Moshiri.
'On Monday night [prior to deadline day] we received a call from Solskjaer and the club who told us that a transfer was out of the question and that he had to report himself to training the next morning.'
Van de Beek featured in 36 matches across all competitions during his debut season at United, following a £35m move from Ajax, but the majority of them were substitute appearances.
Albers expects his client to play more frequently despite competition from Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and others in the United midfield.