Former Manchester United superstar Memphis Depay has revealed that Chelsea is one of the clubs he wishes to join when he leaves Lyon.
As quoted by The Sun (h/t Helden), former Manchester United player Memphis Depay has claimed that Chelsea will be one of the clubs that he would like to join when he chooses to call it quits at Lyon. The Red Devils though, will still have a big say in the Dutchman’s future, whenever he leaves the Ligue 1 club.
The 24-year-old was pawned off to Lyon after having a very forgettable stint at Old Trafford. However, the former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted on adding a buy-back clause to Depay’s contract. This clause would allow the English giants to veto the sale of the player at the time of his Lyon departure.
However, it is hard to speculate if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would want him back at Old Trafford after his previous struggles to impress at Manchester United during his ill-fated 18-month spell. At Lyon, the Dutch winger has scored 33 goals in 91 appearances and is regaining his fiery form back from his time at PSV Eindhoven which made him stand out as one of the best young talents in Europe.
But, while Manchester United do hold the aces when it comes to the player’s future, he has insisted that he’d rather return to Chelsea, among other European elite, failing to mention his former club in the interview.
“Lyon is a big club, but not one of the five best in Europe. I want to go to a club like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich. I want to go to a city that suits me and a club that suits me, to a team that really wants to play football. But I’m focused right now on Lyon, and then we see where I end up.”
Attack has been the Achilles heel for Chelsea this season, with goals coming at a premium for them. While the Blues do seem to have addressed their problems to an extent by agreeing a deal for Christian Pulisic, the fact that they might still be on the lookout for attacking reinforcements is not without reason.
With Eden Hazard’s future at Stamford Bridge being up in the air, Maurizio Sarri could potentially use a young winger like Depay to the fill Belgian’s void. Additionally, Callum Hudson-Odoi also looks set to leave Chelsea, which means signing a winger could soon be an urgent need of the hour.
For now, Chelsea do not seem to be interested in signing the Dutch superstar. But, if they were, the buy-back clause at Manchester United’s disposal is likely to be an obstacle, and it remains to be seen if it indeed comes into the picture, whenever Memphis Depay leaves Lyon.
