The Lyon striker Memphis Depay left Old Trafford under a dark cloud after his performances under the regime of Louis van Gaal left as much to be desired as his behaviour off the pitch, but what’s happened since makes a strong case for the bringing about of his return to Manchester.
Since his switch to Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2017, the Dutch international has had a hand in 54 goals in Ligue 1, with 29 of those being goals and 25 being assists.
While he’s been hitting those heights on the continent, the forward division back at Old Trafford has been treading water, with the closest any of their number getting to his record is a contribution to 27 scores.
The £30m fee that Memphis commanded when he made the switch to English football from PSV Eindhoven looked meaty by the time Lyon picked him up at a cut-price £20m, but his value will have soared since then.
Handy for all at Old Trafford, then, that they inserted what amounts to an effective buy-back clause into the deal that saw him switch to the Stade Vélodrome.
The 24-year-old is surely the sort of explosive player that could prove an antidote to the muted sort of stuff the Red Devils have been producing on the front end over the past couple of seasons.
But their fans seem to want another forward out of the club before the possibility of the return of the prodigal figure from France is considered. It’s one superbly well-remunerated Chilean that they want gone.
“After selling Alexis,” said one on Twitter on the prospect of a return for Memphis. “If Sanchez goes then it’ll make sense,” added another.
One of the hottest prospects in world football, and one of the faces of an exciting new Dutch national team, would surely have an extra incentive to prove his detractors wrong and make a mark in the English game this time around.
Buy-Back in January?
