New Manchester United signing Memphis Depay has revealed he chose the club despite being linked with Bayern Munich, Liverpool FC, and PSG because of Louis van Gaal.
Depay revealed in an interview to Sports Bild : “There were discussions with nearly all the top clubs,” he said. “And of course FC Bayern was one of them. But in the end Manchester United came out on top.”
When asked if he was tempted to work with Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, Depay said: “I can’t say who the best coach in the world is. There are definitely a lot of good and well-known managers and Pep Guardiola is certainly one of them.
“But I only spoke to Louis van Gaal and he totally convinced me. He gave me the feeling that I was very important for him not only as a player but also as a person. And then it was clear that I would go to Manchester United.”
Louis van Gaal was the manager of Holland during the World Cup 2014 when Depay went with the squad to Brazil before the manager took up the Manchester United hot seat following the dismissal of David Moyes.
And the relationship the duo established during van Gaal’s Holland stint seemed to have worked in favor of Manchester United as they acquired Depay despite strong interest from Bayern Munich, as revealed by the player, and Liverpool FC and PSG who were reported to be keen on the Dutch winger.
Interview with #Depay . in @SPORTBILD: “@FCBayern also wanted to buy me” @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/Ycs7zSOlfP
a Christian Falk (@cfbayern) July 15, 2015
Depay was the top scorer for PSV Eindhoven and in the Dutch league with 22 goals, and the capture of the youngster in a 31 million GBP deal over rivals Liverpool FC, and Bayern Munich represents a significant coup for Manchester United.