Southampton boss Ronald Koeman believes Manchester United spent too much money to sign winger Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven this summer.
- By Michael Bell
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The 21-year-old is on his way to Old Trafford for a fee of €30 million this summer, and Koeman believes that is too much for a youngster who may not even play every game for Louis van Gaal’s side.
Koeman told the Daily Mirror, “I think they paid a lot of money,”
Because it is United, where they already spent £200m on players like Angel Di Maria, such a big figure is put in perspective.
“He won’t play every game. I have learnt, while I am here in England, that Dutch players can’t make the jump to the top of the Premier League easily. And young players can’t play 38 games anyway.
“If you pay millions for Di Maria, who hardly plays, if you pay a fortune in wages and rent fee for Radamel Falcao, who never plays, then £25m is not a lot of money for them.”
Koeman also admitted his interest in signing Depay, “My brother Erwin has the same agent, so we tried to bring him to Southampton, but he wanted to stay for one more year at PSV,”
“When United went in for him, we knew at Saints that we had no chance. When they come, we have no chance.”
The former Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV boss also admitted he is not impressed by the current generation of youth players from Netherlands and in the Premier League.
“I see another lack of quality with the Dutch kids that I have also noticed with other young stars in the Premier League,” he added. “They don’t communicate. They behave like individuals. Stuck to their smartphones.”
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Somebody should tell Koeman that we are not complaining. Memphis is a young lad and he is quite good. By the time the season kicks we’ll know whether we paid much or not.