Man Utd line up shock transfer reunion with former flop
FT Desk
- 24 Aug 2022 08:41 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are in for Frenkie de Jong and Antony, but the pair could be beaten to Old Trafford by a familiar face...
United have been busy this summer, signing Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen for a combined €143m, although the latter joined on a free transfer from Brentford.
De Jong and Antony have been Erik ten Hag's top transfer targets since he arrived, although De Jong doesn't want to leave Barcelona and Ajax are demanding €100m for Antony. Both could end up at Old Trafford, but not before Memphis Depay.
Memphis Depay to Juventus is OFF 🚫https://t.co/OUWKNjIRgR
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 23, 2022
De Jong's Barcelona and Netherlands teammate has emerged as shock transfer target for Man Utd, with Marca journalist Luis Rojo reporting that the Red Devils could offer €10m for the Dutch attacker.
Memphis was set to have his Barcelona contract rescinded should he agree personal terms with Juventus, but the Serie A side pulled out of a deal, leaving Tottenham Hotspur and now United to enter the fray.
A good move for Man Utd?
The €10m will be a welcome addition to cash-strapped Barcelona's coffers, but will it work out for Man Utd?
United signed Memphis from PSV Eindhoven for nearly €30m in May 2015, but he only managed seven goals in 53 games before leaving for Lyon in January 2017, with United still managing to recoup the bulk of his initial fee.
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Memphis rebuilt his career in France, though, and had plundered 76 goals and 55 assists in just 178 games before leaving for Barca last summer.
Barcelona added Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to their squad in February, though, and competition up in attack at Camp Nou recently went up a notch with the €50m arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich.
Memphis remains a potent attacker - he scored 13 goals in all competitions last season - and he could prove a snip at €10m. Memphis is still only 28 and has 42 goals in 80 caps for his country.
