Real Sociedad have reportedly withdrawn their interest in out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.
The Dutchman's forgettable Old Trafford spell is expected to come to an end this summer, as he will seemingly not reignite his career under ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
Sociedad quickly established themselves at the head of the queue for Van de Beek's signature, and talks were believed to have been progressing along nicely.
However, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo - via the Manchester Evening News - Imanol Alguacil's side have now had a change of heart.
Instead, Sociedad are allegedly hoping to strike a deal for 20-year-old Dynamo Moscow midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, whose performances have allegedly also caught the eye of Chelsea.
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Should the La Liga outfit manage to agree a fee for Zakharyan, they are supposedly not planning to further their pursuit of Van de Beek, who would be forced to look elsewhere to end his underwhelming Man United stint.
Sociedad could potentially perform another U-turn if a move for Zakharyan falls through, as Man United and Van de Beek desperately try to find the 26-year-old a new home for the 2023-24 season.
The Netherlands international was a mainstay of Ten Hag's famed Ajax team, helping the Eredivisie giants reach the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals before earning a £33.7m move to Old Trafford in 2020.
However, Van de Beek has a paltry two goals and two assists to show from 60 games in a Man United shirt, while he spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at a struggling Everton side.
Van de Beek was restricted to just 10 appearances in all tournaments last season due to competition for places and a serious knee injury sustained in January, which ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.
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The Dutchman made a full recovery during pre-season and enjoyed a positive period with Ten Hag's team in their summer friendlies, scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Lyon before providing two assists in a 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Van de Beek's contract runs until 2025, but despite his promising pre-season form, he is expected to become another victim of Man United's summer cull, which will also see Fred move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen will seemingly enter the new campaign as Ten Hag's first-choice pairing, while the signing of Mason Mount and emergence of Kobbie Mainoo - who is currently sidelined with an ankle issue - have pushed Van de Beek further down the pecking order.
Scott McTominay also continues to be linked with an exit amid interest from West Ham United, as the Red Devils look to raise funds for possible moves for Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat or Everton's Amadou Onana.
Ten Hag's side will open their 2023-24 Premier League season at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, where Van de Beek is expected to be named on the bench at best.
Ben Knapton
