Door opens for Memphis’ Man Utd return as Juventus sign Poland striker
Manchester United prospects of signing Memphis Depay from Barcelona have received a boost thanks to Juventus opting to sign Arkadiusz Milik from Marseille.
A return to Old Trafford is a possibility for Memphis as Man Utd consider a suite of attacking options as the summer transfer window nears its close.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has made Ajax star Antony his top priority, but the Amsterdam club have rebuffed numerous bids for the Brazil international winger. Nevertheless, Man Utd have gone back in with a further €100 million offer, according to reports.
Memphis an Antony alternative
Should United fail in their attempts to land the Amsterdam-based star, though, Memphis would become a possibility once again.
And the path has been cleared for a possible move thanks to Juventus opting to move for Milik instead of the Netherlands star. Previously, the widespread logic was that Memphis was Turin-bound, but instead Juve have signed the Poland international forward on a one-year loan with an option to buy.
ɴᴏᴡ ᴀʀʀɪᴠɪɴɢ ➡️ @arekmilik9! ✅⚪️⚫️#WelcomeMilik
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) August 26, 2022
The other threat for the 28-year-old comes from Tottenham, who are seeking a creative attacker to ease the burden on Heung-min Son and Harry Kane. Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech is thought to be their primary option, but an agreement on this front is not certain as the Blues may not wish to sell to a rival club.
Memphis, meanwhile, could be available for as little as €10 million, while Ten Hag is said to be pushing for the move to be completed, according to a report in Mundo Deportivo on Thursday.
Barcelona’s stance on Depay, meanwhile, is that they would likely be happy to offload him, despite Pierre-Emerick Aubamyang’s apparently imminent move to Chelsea.
The Catalans need to raise around €20 million to register Jules Kounde, while they also have their eyes on Bernardo Silva of Manchester City. If any deal for the Portugal international is to be done, more money is required from the sale of players.
Depay is one man earmarked for the chop, and it could be that a transfer to Man Utd suits all parties.