Lyon winger Memphis Depay has been in great form for the Ligue 1 outfit since leaving Manchester United in 2017 and his stats put the Red Devils to shame.
The Dutchman’s two-year spell at Old Trafford was underwhelming, to say the least, as he only managed to make 53 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 7 goals.
Jose Mourinho deemed him surplus to requirements last year and he was sent off to French side Lyon for £9 million less than the £25 million fee United originally paid for him – as per the Telegraph – but since then he has shone.
The 24-year-old has scored 33 goals in his first 81 games for Lyon and wowed fans across France with his dribbling ability and penchant for the spectacular, already boasting a highlight reel which the best players in Europe would proud of after less than a year and a half at the Groupama Stadium.
According to a statistician on Twitter, Depay’s numbers also paint a humiliating picture for his former employers, as he has been directly involved in 54 Ligue 1 goals since leaving the Premier League.
That’s twice the amount of any Man United player in England during the same time frame and Mourinho might just be tempted to dip back into the market for his former charge given his team’s struggles in the final third.
The Red Devils are 8th in the Premier League after a nightmare start to the 2018-19 campaign and currently have a goal difference of (-1), which is the first time the club has held such a poor record since way back in 1977.
United inserted a buy-back clause in Depay’s contract before he left and given his recent resurgence for Lyon, the club would have nothing to lose by giving him another try at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Netherlands international has improved immensely since leaving Manchester, producing match-winning displays not only on the domestic scene but also in the Champions League, most notably masterminding a 2-1 win for Lyon against Manchester City back in September.
Mourinho will no doubt be looking to bring in some reinforcements during the January transfer window ahead of a huge second half of the season for the club and Depay now has the maturity and experience to add a new dimension to the United attack, while also having a point still to prove to those who have doubted him.