Depay’s arrival a sensible start to United’s transfer activity

At 63, Louis van Gaal is not the type to rip off his shirt and flex his muscles, but when the Manchester United boss beat rivals Liverpool to the £25 million (S$51.3 million) signing of Memphis Depay on Thursday, he might as well have done.

It was a show of unqualified strength and superiority that must have felt good.

Brendan Rodgers had spent the best part of 18 months monitoring the 21-year-old’s progress, and had made up his mind to make a move. Irrespective of whether they snatched a Champions League place at United’s expense or not, it was a transfer he and his transfer committee were desperate to seal. The Northern Irishman even met up with the player in a bid to seduce him into seeing Anfield rather than Old Trafford, as his first Premier League home.

Yet the Reds boss was stood up at the altar yet again.

Like Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Willian, Christian Eriksen, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan before him (all players Liverpool had set their long-term sights on) the promising Depay has opted to go elsewhere.

At such a critical juncture in the season, with fourth place still not assured, it feels as if Van Gaal and United’s hierarchy have struck a telling, and timely psychological blow over their closest challengers. In more ways than one it seems a shrewd piece of eye-catching business.

So, what have they spent their money on?

While it is grossly unfair and I wouldn’t want to over egg expectations, Depay strikes me as a cross between Arjen Robben and Cristiano Ronaldo. But calm your excitement. He is not in their class. Not yet, anyway. For now, it is only a stylistic comparison. Nevertheless, I do see ingredients of both superstars in United’s new recruit.

Depay operates on the left wing and loves to cut inside. For PSV Eindhoven he has exclusively been used in that role, and during last year’s World Cup in Brazil, that was also where then-Netherlands coach Van Gaal deployed him. His impending arrival may create question marks over the futures of Ashley Young, Adnan Januzaj or Angel di Maria.

For a young player, he is incredibly confident and strong on the ball. Well balanced and sturdy, Depay is able to bounce off challenges when he runs at defenders (which he loves to do) and once inside the final third, a shot is always on his mind.

Although two-footed, it is his right boot that packs the most punch, and driving inside from the left, the Dutch international has built a reputation for thumping long-range strikes into the net from distance.

In just two full seasons for PSV, he has plundered 33 league goals, and his 21 in 2014/15 make him the Eredivisie’s leading marksman. Not too shabby for a rookie wide man.

He is not perfect of course. United’s new boy can lack a touch of refinement. He will give passes away, and on occasion Depay will run down blind alleys or sky efforts high into Row Z.

Bubbling with self-belief, no one in Dutch football has averaged more efforts on goal than the 5.5 per game he has tried this season either — and if that continues, you wonder if it may frustrate a few of his experienced new team-mates at the Theatre of Dreams.

He has plenty of skill though, and is not afraid to show it. The youngster can showboat with the best of them, and from dead-ball situations he boasts the technique to manipulate the ball with wicked dip and swerve.

Getting bums off seats with his positivity, and known for putting a shift in for the side, it is hard to envisage Depay failing to become a fans’ favourite at Old Trafford.

His signature also has the potential to solve several important shortcomings. It will alleviate United’s uncharacteristic lack of pace going forward. It will add firepower to an attack that has relied too much on Wayne Rooney. And it will freshen up the squad with a talented, hungry young player who is likely to spark others into action.

To bridge the gap on Chelsea, other big names must follow in the coming months, but there is no denying that this is a sensible and encouraging start to Van Gaal’s important summer transfer business that may also see the arrivals of Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan.

Getting one over on Liverpool is just an added bonus.

Adrian Clarke, TODAY’s EPL analyst, is a former Arsenal midfielder who has played at every level of English football. Now an experienced sports journalist, he writes for many publications around the world. Follow him on Twitter @adrianjclarke

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