Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that there may be a way back to Old Trafford for winger Memphis Depay.
The Dutchman hasn’t had much of an impact at Old Trafford and is being shipped out to Olympique Lyon this winter. However, United manager Jose Mourinho has stated that the 22-year-old remains a bright talent for the future.
“Potentially, he is a very good player,” Mourinho said, according to SkySports.
“I think when Mr Van Gaal decided to buy him, he did well. He knew him well from the national team, when he was young in the World Cup he had flashes of top quality.”
The Portuguese manager added that Depay couldn’t find the same success in the Premier League as he had in Holland, but Mourinho confirmed that United have a buy-back clause in place and Depay could return one day.
“He didn’t succeed in his 18 months but he is very young, so I think it is very important for the club to keep control of this talent, and we all wish he plays very well at Olympique Lyon and why not come back, because everyone really likes him.”
Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon have signed Memphis Depay for a fee of £16 million, which could rise to £21.7 million. This will help the Red Devils recoup most of the reported £25 million they spent on signing him from PSV in the summer of 2015.
However, Manchester United have reportedly inserted two important clauses in the deal. The first is a sell-on clause and the second is a buy-back clause, which Mourinho seems to have confirmed with these recent statements.
22-year-old Depay is regarded as one of the top young talents around, but has flopped in a huge way at Old Trafford. The Dutchman seems to be struggling with the pace and physicality of the Premier League, and a change in scenery could help him get back to the best we saw at PSV.
Depay will definitely be handed more playing time, something which wasn’t coming at United under Mourinho. It could now simply be a matter of time before he delivers, or proves his critics right. Regardless of what happens, Manchester United do have control over the situation.
