Lyon confirm signing of Depay from Man U
Dutch winger seals switch to Ligue 1 club for initial fee of € 16 million
>> LYON: Lyon signed Netherlands international Memphis Depay from Manchester United for an initial fee of €16 million (US$17 million) on Friday, the French club confirmed.
Depay, 22, has signed a four-and-ahalf year contract with the seven-time French champions and could make his debut in today’s Ligue 1 clash at home to Marseille.
The deal could rise to as much as €25 million, with the adds-ons including Lyon qualifying for Europe and Depay extending his contract at Parc OL.
Depay, capped 27 times at international level, becomes Lyon’s biggest signing since the club-record purchase of Yoann Gourcuff from Bordeaux for €22 million in 2010.
“I’m young. That doesn’t give me any particular added pressure,” said Depay of the outlay required to bring him to France.
“I came here to gain confidence. Pressure comes with football at the top level, it’s normal. It’s an honour to come to this big club.
“I’m very happy to sign for Lyon,” Depay added, revealing he had learned a lot from rubbing shoulders with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba at Old Trafford.
Depay joined United from PSV Eindhoven in June 2015, but the winger had a disappointing first season under compatriot Louis van Gaal and had made just one start in all competitions since Jose Mourinho became manager last July.
The deal with Lyon reportedly includes buy-back and sell-on clauses, and Mourinho refused to rule out an eventual return to Old Trafford for the Dutchman.
“He didn’t succeed in this 18 months, I would say, but he is very young so I think it is important for the club to keep control of this talent,” said the Portuguese.
“And we all wish that he plays very, very well at Olympique Lyon and why not to come back because everyone here likes him.”
Depay, who scored seven goals in 53 United appearances, becomes the second player to leave Old Trafford this month after France international midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin joined Everton.
Mourinho has acknowledged England left-back Luke Shaw is enduring a testing period in his Old Trafford career due to illness and injury.
Shaw, 21, spent most of last season recovering from a double leg break sustained in September 2015 and has made only 12 starts since Mourinho succeeded Van Gaal in the close season.
Despite reports Shaw could be on his way out, Mourinho gave no indication that United are open to offers for him, but he did concede the former Southampton player is having a tough time of it.
Asked if Shaw’s history of injuries was counting against him, Mourinho replied: “Of course. You try to have in the squad the players with more minutes, the players in better shape, in better condition.
“In Luke Shaw’s case, even in the [FA Cup] game against Reading, when he could have started the game and had 90 minutes, in the morning of the game he was ill and not ready to play.
“So even in that match, which could have been good for him, he was not able to play, so he’s having a difficult period.”
Mourinho also added his support to the idea, currently being explored by the Football Association, of introducing retrospective punishments for diving by players.
But the United manager believes any such decisions must be handled with consistency.
“I agree totally,” Mourinho said. “But again I’m always afraid that for similar situations, [there will be] different decisions — inconsistency. I’m always afraid of that.
“But I would agree totally. It’s like the interpretation of handball/balls to the hand, deflection/no deflection; the referee’s analysis is not consistent.
“Then for similar decisions [situations], you have different decisions. But of course, yes, I would like retrospective action for simulation in the box.”