Juventus have reportedly given up on their plan to sign FC Barcelona striker and rumoured Tottenham target Memphis Depay due to the player’s wage demands, with Manchester United now believed to be interested.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Serie A titans have ditched their attempt to sign Depay with Juventus now focusing their efforts on Olympique Marseille forward Arkadiusz Milik, and reports since this update seem to claim that United have now joined Tottenham in the race for the Netherlands international.
Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this week that Depay is set to leave Barcelona for free after agreeing with the Catalan giants to terminate his contract, with the La Liga side previously valuing their star striker at a reported £17m, though financial constraints mean leaving for free is a smart move.
With Juventus now out of the picture to sign Depay, Tottenham and United could now do battle to land the Netherlands’ superstar between now and the end of the window, though despite being cast off by the Red Devils, a return to Manchester could be the attacker’s best possible move.
Indeed, Tottenham have strengthened hugely this summer with the £60m signing of Richarlison to add to the ranks of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and whilst Depay would be another great addition, the striker will simply not play as much football if he was to instead return to Old Trafford.
After all, Erik Ten Hag is keen to sign a striker for United in the final week of the transfer window, and with Depay a much better player since his departure from Manchester in 2016, the 28-year-old could be perfect as a short-term option for the Premier League giants this season.
United have to beat Tottenham to Depay after Juventus ditch signing plan
Depay has been one of Europe’s best attackers since leaving United five years ago, and whilst Tottenham could make a case for signing the Barcelona outcast, the Red Devils will be foolish not to make a move for the forward this summer despite the memories of his previous spell in the Premier League.
However, Depay has undergone a huge transformation since his time at United, with the attacker maturing a great deal and becoming more clinical and effective as an attacker, something Ten Hag needs in his frontline if he is to achieve anything with the English giants this season.
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