Donny van de Beek's case is chalk and cheese to the one of Jadon Sancho. Van de Beek didn't do anything wrong. It looks like everything has gone against him. However, it has been external factors that have led to his current situation.
He had everything going for him while at Ajax. In the 18/19 season, he was a vital player in the squad. This was more so when it came to the Champions League. He scored goals against Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham. Ajax had reached the semi-final stage before being eliminated by the away goals rule. Nonetheless, he was part of a youth team that beat the big heavyweights of Europe in the most lucrative football competition. Everyone was praising their accomplishment.
In the beginning of that season, former Ajax CEO, Edwin Van Der Sar, told Van de Beek to stay for one more season and then he can move on the following season. This indeed happened. It was more of a secret deal as no one knew who the club was. It was later identified as Manchester United. The price was 35 million Pounds plus 5 million with add-ons.
His spell began with a good but bad start. He scored but United lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace. However, his time hasn't gone well. He wasn't playing on a regular basis and even lost his place in the Dutch side. He was a bit part player. He only started four Premier League games all season. In his second season, he didn't start at all. He started in the Champions League and EFL Cup. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's last game in charge, a 4-1 loss to Watford, Van de Beek scored the goal.
The sacking didn't help him in any way. Under managements of Michael Carrick and Ralf Ragnick, he played a grand total of nine minutes. In January 2022, he was loaned to Everton for the rest of the season. His time was mostly filled with injuries. He scored in a losing effort against Arsenal in the final match of the season.
He soon suffered a knee injury. A loan move to Ligue 1 (French league) with Lorient was scrapped. In January of this year, He was loaned to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. To date, he has made five appearances and hasn't scored or assisted any goals.
If I were to point a finger at the downward spiral, it would be at Solksjaer, Carrick and Ragnick. All sports are confidence dependant. If a sportman/woman's confidence is low then their performances will be dreadful and hence put in poor numbers. Being a constant benchwarmer can severely affect one's performances. The aforementioned managers should've shown more faith in Van de Beek. More playing time could've led to key performances. I hope he does well as I like him as a player.