Transfer Centre

Lyon confirm Memphis Depay as top transfer target

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 13 January 2017

Lyon coach Bruno Genesio confirms that the club have made Manchester United outcast Memphis Depay their number one transfer target in the January window.

Lyon coach Bruno Genesio has confirmed that the club have made Manchester United outcast Memphis Depay their top target for the January transfer window.

Depay has been told that he is free to leave Old Trafford this month having made just one start across all competitions under Jose Mourinho this season.

Everton had been linked with the 22-year-old Netherlands international, but Lyon have emerged as the front-runners for his signature and, despite already seeing one bid turned down, the Ligue 1 outfit are still eager to sign the winger.

"Things are progressing. We keep on working. It takes time, discussions, because recruiting a player now is not easy. I trust the president to get things done quickly. I have put a priority on Memphis Depay," he told reporters.

"He is a powerful player who scores goals and is good at set pieces. Rachid [Ghezzal] has left for the African Nations Cup and Memphis knows how to play out wide. He is a young player with great international experience and a lot of potential. This is my number one priority.

"I'm a fan of this player, he has an interesting profile for us, especially as we risk losing Rachid at the end of the season. But there are several things to consider, including the price."

Lyon's initial offer for Depay is thought to have been substantially below United's £15m asking price.