Manchester United jump ahead of Spurs in Memphis Depay queue
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Defenders may be high on the list of priorities at Old Trafford but reports suggest Louis van Gaal is on the cusp of adding another talented midfielder to his squad.
According to the Daily Express, Van Gaal is close to agreeing a deal with PSV Eindhoven for highly-rated Dutch winger Memphis Depay.
The news will come as a blow to Spurs, who have also been tracking the 20-year-old, but with an £18m bid being prepared, the Old Trafford club are said to have jumped to the front of the queue.
Van Gaal is a known admirer of Depay, giving him his chance in the Holland side at the World Cup and attempting to lure him to the Premier League in the summer.
A deal looked to be out of the question, with PSV reluctant to part with one of their prized assets, but the Eredivisie outfit’s stance has softened somewhat and manager Phillip Cocu seems resigned to losing his man.
Depay has smashed 36 goals from 97 career games so far and is currently in the form of his life, having scored seven in eight Eredivisie games and five in five European outings this term.
This form has forced United’s hand and it is expected that the club will move at the turn of the year in order to avoid a bidding war in the summer.
The move is likely to spell the end of Ashley Young’s United career, with the former Aston Villa and Watford man already relegated to the level of bit-part player at the club.
Young played 90 minutes three times in August, but he has played just 14 minutes of first team football since and could angle for a move away to resurrect his career, especially if Depay arrives in January.
Next up for United is a trip to the Emirates for which the Red Devils are priced at 21/10 to win.
Arsenal are the 5/4 favourites to take all three points, while a draw can be backed at 12/5.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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