Former United winger Memphis Depay open to returning to Manchester

Former Manchester United winger Memphis Depay has said that he is open to leaving Lyon for a bigger club.

Depay, who moved to Lyon from United in 2017,  signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the French club, however, a clause in his contract allowed the Old Trafford club to install a buy-back clause upon his departure from Manchester. Despite the option for United to take Depay back, the Dutch forward namechecked six European clubs he'd be happy to move to should he leave Lyon.

 “Lyon is a big club, but not one of the five best in Europe. I want to go to a club like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich," said in an interview with Helden magazine.

"I want to go to a city that suits me and a club that suits me, to a team that really wants to play football.

“I always talk about Real Madrid, a royal club, white shirts with gold. But I’m focused right now on Lyon, and then we’ll see where I end up.”

Depay is enjoying a fine season for Lyon with five goals and eight assists in 22 games but he was recently subjected to rather harsh treatment from Saint Etienne fans during his side's recent 2-1 win earlier this month. "Memphis - 5 million followers but no dad," the banner unfurled by some of the home supporters at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium read. The Dutch international has spoken in the past about how his father left him and his mother when he was a small child. Having seen a picture of the banner on social media, the 24-year-old initially responded by correcting its reference to his Instagram following, which actually stands at 5.9 million. Following this, he insisted he had nothing against those responsible for the banner, suggesting it was made as a result of jealousy. He wrote: "I have nothing against the people who did this. I know they low key love me! https://twitter.com/Memphis/status/1087410135792869376

"I also know they mad they just mad they don’t have 1 player with the same quality like me. "It doesn’t bother me 1 second, I just wanted to say some things about it. 0 points against us this season i can imagine what that feels like. Should I continue…? "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, I leave it by that! God bless everybody! Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only love can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, love can do that."