Ex-Manchester United captain Paul Ince has criticised his former club for signing Donny van de Beek in the summer.

The Dutchman moved from Ajax for £40m back in September but he has started just two Premier League games, and Ince doesn’t think there was a plan behind snapping up the player:

“They’ve spent £40m on Donny van de Beek and they’re not playing him. I don’t know why they signed him. Maybe there’s a situation where Pogba could be going at the end of the season and Van de Beek could come in. But if you’ve spent £40m on a player, you put him in! Put him in the team.”

Ince may have actually hit upon a possible explanation in his comments. Van de Beek could potentially be a long-term replacement for Paul Pogba with it being claimed that the Frenchman could leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.

The midfielder will have just one year remaining on his contract in the summer so a sale is expected if he can’t agree an extension. However, there is now talk that the player could potentially stay.

Were Pogba to remain with United, it is hard to see where van de Beek fits in. At the moment, it very much seems like a poor transfer decision.