Memphis Depay is one name football fans must get used to. The Dutch youngster is attracting attention from all over Europe and has been seriously linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and PSG.
PSV sporting director Marcel Brands acknowledged last month that three clubs had made an approach for the Eredivisie top goalscorer who is available for a sum in the region of A?20million.
Brands has now said that the Merseysiders and Parisian side are the ones leading the race for the player, while Bayern Munich haven’t made any enquiries, He said, ‘PSG and Liverpool are indeed a step ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Memphis. United have only informed us about their interest. The list of interested clubs has grown in recent weeks. But Bayern Munich are not among the teams that want to sign him. It’s only logical that there is a lot of movement around Memphis. He is still a young player, but is already hugely efficient. He should be proud of that. There isn’t usually a lot of movement in the transfer market at this stage of the season. It’s an exception that so many clubs have already shown an interest in Memphis. That only illustrates that he’s on the right track.’
Depay operates as an attacker for PSV and has all the attributes of a winger. He is better suited on the left flank, but can switch positions anywhere in the attack. He is especially great for swift counterattacks as his pace as well as dribble help him greatly. He showed his versatality in the World Cup, often being deployed in the wing-back position when brought in the game by van Gaal. His defensive contribution is also pretty great as he regularly tracks back and helps out his teammates curb attacking threat of the opposition.
Manchester United were believed to be holding the trump card due to the fact that it is Louis van Gaal who leads the side and Depay could be keen to reunite with van Gaal. However, recent reports and now Brand’s comments suggest the player might just be seen in the red of Liverpool. It makes complete sense for Brendan Rodgers’s side to be chasing the player with such eagerness, given he fits the FSG profile of young, talented players with potential to be absolutely world class. Add to that the fear of there being a serious chance of Raheem Sterling leaving in the summer.