Koeman questions Manchester United Depay signing

Posted Sunday, June 21, 2015 by Goal.com

The Southampton boss says the winger won't play every week and noted the difficulty Dutch players have had in making the step up from the Eredivise to the Premier League Ronald Koeman has raised doubts over Memphis Depay's ability to adapt to the Premier League in his first season with Manchester United.

The winger completed his move from PSV to Old Trafford last week for a fee of €31 million as Louis van Gaal begins putting together a side to improve upon last their fourth-placed finish in 2014-15.

Mark van Bommel told Goal that Depay, who scored 22 goals last season, must adjust quickly to English football and now the Southampton manager has aired his own doubts.

"I think they paid a lot of money," Koeman told reporters. "Because it is United, where they already spent €280m on players like Angel Di Maria, such a big figure is put in perspective.

"If you pay millions for Di Maria who hardly plays, if you pay a fortune in wages and a rent fee for Radamel Falcao who never plays, than €31m is not a lot of money for them.

"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.

"And I see another lack of quality with the Dutch kids, that I have also noticed with other young stars in the Premier League: they don't communicate! They behave like individuals. Stuck to their smartphones."

Despite his concerns, Koeman revealed he attempted to sign Depay for Southampton last summer and feels the player's relationship with former Netherlands boss Van Gaal will help him to settle.

He added: "My brother Erwin has the same agent, we tried to bring him to Southampton but he wanted to stay for one more year at PSV.

"When United went in for him this summer, we knew at Saints that we had no chance. When they come, we have no chance.

He added: "I think, with Louis van Gaal, he gets a coach who he knows. It makes it easier to settle."