Most Manchester United fans would be happy to bring Memphis Depay back to the club.
Former Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal signed the 24-year-old Dutchman from PSV Eindhoven for £31m in 2015. However, Depay struggled during his time at Old Trafford and was shown the door by José Mourinho in January 2017.
The Netherlands international has rediscovered his PSV form since he completed his move to Lyon. He has made 69 appearances for the French club and scored 29 times.
“I said to Mourinho ‘you will see me at the top,'” he told the Times.
“He said, ‘OK, I hope that and I hope we will buy you back one day.’ I never had a bad relationship with him.”
According to Depay, he had more of a problem with Mourinho’s predecessor rather than the club’s higher-ups or the Special One.
“One time I wanted to work on my left foot and crosses, so I was doing extra training with Giggsy,” he explained. “[Van Gaal] called me in his office and said, ‘why are you training?’
“I said I want to improve my cross with my left foot. He said your crosses are already good, it’s in your head.”
Mourinho might have sanctioned the sale of the former United star, but the club does have a buy-back clause they could active.
“I think when Mr van Gaal decided to buy him he did well, he knew him very well from the national team, he was very young when at the World Cup he had flashes of top quality,” Mourinho said (via the Manchester Evening News).
“He was playing well in Holland, we know the Dutch league is not the same, but he was showing very good things. So I think Mr van Gaal and Manchester United did very well to buy him.
“He didn’t succeed in his 18 months but he’s very young, so I think it’s important for the club to complete control of this talent and we all wish he plays very, very well at Lyon and why not to come back because everyone here likes him.”
Depay has definitely become the player that United need. He might be able to put his past behind him with a second stint at the club, especially after he responded to Wayne Rooney’s criticism of him.
SportBible.com