As if Ineos did not have enough problems to solve at Manchester United already, the struggles of a number of players loaned out by the Premier League giants provides yet more cause for concern.
Jadon Sancho has found some semblance of form in the Bundesliga, but the same cannot be said of Donny van de Beek, the Dutchman playing ‘even worse’ for Eintracht Frankfurt than he did at Old Trafford. Van de Beek was left on the bench for the fourth time in Frankfurt’s last five games over the weekend.
Facundo Pellistri, despite some eye-catching displays for Granada, looks destined for relegation. Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez, meanwhile, look destined to end up back at Manchester United, the option-to-buy clauses in their contracts all-but certain to go un-triggered.
Dan Gore‘s own loan spell, however, may be the most disappointing of the lot from a Man United perspective.
Another disastrous Manchester United loan spell
As one of the most exciting young talents in the Red Devils’ ranks, the hope was that the 19-year-old would benefit immensely from a first spell in senior football at third-tier Port Vale.
Instead, Gore has been restricted to only 54 minutes – and one appearance – due to an injury which has kept him out of contention since his debut at the end of January. Should the teenager return before the end of the season, he will find himself playing for a relegated club.
Port Vale’s demotion to England’s four tier was confirmed on Saturday via a 2-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Bolton Wanderers.
Dan Gore relegated with Port Vale
Whether Gore, a highly-technical and very gifted central midfielder, would have made a marked difference in such a situation is anyone’s guess. Some may argue that sending a developing talent on loan to a club fighting against the tide of relegation in the first place is not the greatest idea.
Surely Gore would have benefitted more from joining a side capable of offering him game time in the relative comfort of mid-table, for instance.
Either way, this was not the way Gore – nor Port Vale for that matter – envisaged his first loan spell away from Old Trafford going.
“With Dan Gore, that’s an ongoing, persistent problem,” Valiants boss Darren Moore said a month ago, via the Manchester Evening News. “Whether we feel he’s going to be back for any part of this season, we’re not too sure.
“It’s not looking too good for him at the moment. It’s a persistent (injury) that we’ll still monitor.”
At least, unlike Sancho, Hannibal, Van de Beek and co, there should still be a future awaiting Gore when he returns to Man United in a few weeks’ time.