Manchester United have shown their interest in signing their former winger, Memphis Depay, from Barcelona. The Spanish team is rebuilding and wants to offload some of the players. It looks like the Dutchman is not in Xavi’s plans and is likely to make a move to a new club in the summer. Depay joined Manchester United in 2015 from Dutch club PSV. He had a disappointing one-and-a-half-year spell at the club and was sold to the French club, Lyon, in January 2017. The 28-year-old was sold to Barcelona last season and was their main man to lead the attack. But now, the player is not required at the club and is being offered to other clubs. Manchester United are keen on signing players and have enquired about the status of the forward. Depay was a regular for the first half of the season, and then injuries and managerial changes limited his game-time. Some of the stats from the UEFA Champions League show how he could be a handy addition to Manchester United’s squad.
Depay made 38 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona. He started in 27 matches and scored 13 goals in his first season. The forward also provided two assists. The above viz shows the heat map of the player in six UEFA Champions League appearances. The 28-year-old is a natural left-winger who can also play the number nine role. He was unable to make a goal-scoring contribution for a Barcelona side that was knocked out of the group stage. Overall, he played a high line and averaged 3.75 touches inside the opposition’s penalty box per 90 minutes.
In the UEFA Champions League last season, Depay’s passing was his trademark. He attempted 37.2 passes per 90 minutes with an accuracy rate of 79.8%. The above viz shows all the passes that the player successfully delivered. Most of the passes were directed towards left-back Jordi Alba. Depay made more than three progressive runs per 90 minutes and attempted the same number of crosses per 90 minutes. He created constant threats by delivering passes into the opposition’s penalty box.
Depay failed to make a lot of attacking contributions last season. He attempted six shots but failed to hit the target. The 28-year-old was involved in 11.25 attacking actions per 90 minutes but had a low success rate of 37.7%. However, the player likes to dribble past the opposition defence and attempted 39 dribbles with a 69% success rate.
The Dutchman was unable to make an impact in the UEFA Champions League, but his LaLiga form is the reason why teams are interested in the player. He is a versatile forward who can play on the left wing and in the centre. The player could return to Manchester United and play under a Dutch manager next season. Manchester United need players who can contribute to their poor goal-scoring form. The Dutchman could be the solution to their problems.
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