OPINION: Memphis Depay is an Excellent Signing, But Not a Guaranteed Success

On Thursday, we got news that Memphis Depay was signing for Manchester United in the summer. It came to many as a surprise, because even though United were always in the race to sign him, the latest newspaper reports were saying that PSG and Liverpool were the frontrunners. I think this is an excellent signing, not least for the following five reasons:

1. He is young and will clearly be a great player in the future.

2. He is Dutch and has played for Van Gaal already, so he will be somewhat familiar with Van Gaal’s system and philosophy.

3. We need a quality winger, and I believe he is the man for that position.

4. He is a top free kick taker.

5. He is the top scorer in the Eredevisie this season.

There should be a few notes of caution, however…

PSV youth team coaches have stated that Depay is very short tempered and though he has controlled it in the past year or two, we should hope he doesn’t lose his mind during matches here in the Premier League as new players often tend to do that.

Also, though he plays left wing, he only has 3 assists this season which is pretty alarming for a left winger, even though seems to make it up with his goals. The Premier League will be tougher, though, and he will have to get more assists.

Overall, this signing is a highly positive step. It has not come exactly cheap, but will clearly inject pace and youth in the squad. Memphis Depay’s speed and shooting will be welcomed, but he will have competition on the left with Di Maria and Young also looking to stake their claims to a starting place.

Image credit: @FullTimeDEVILS.