Memphis Depay
Age – 26
Club – Olympique Lyon
Current Value – 45m (transfermarkt)
Comparison Stats –
Compared to Antonio, Depay is a class apart statistically. Finding more goals off of fewer chances, as well as creating more goals for others, could West Ham bring the player back to the Premier League with success? pic.twitter.com/pfsgQBehFJ
— Scott Johnson (@scottiej24) January 11, 2021
Key attributes according to FM2021 – Pace/Acceleration (16), Finishing (15), Strength (11)
Likelihood – Unlikely
You may be looking at the value and thinking that alone should put us out of the running, but with his contract up in the summer Depay is currently free to talk to other clubs about a free move in the summer. But we’re not the only ones going to be interested.
Although his move to Manchester United was premature, he has developed into a player that has all the traits of a top Premier League attacker. Those judging him by his time there are not taking into account his development, and he would certainly come in as the number 1 forward at West Ham, and by some margin.
The big issue here is that we are not going to be the only ones interested in a move for him. He’s succeeded not just domestically but in European competitions as well, so unless the Hammers begin to push up the table and pushing for European qualification, I don’t think we’d be able to tempt him to East London.