Liverpool are set to be leading the chase to sign the impressive Dutch youngster Memphis Depay after news emerged that both parties have met to negotiate a deal at Anfield. Memphis, off the back of an impressive World Cup, had been heavily rumored to sign for Manchester United. However, it has been Liverpool who have had signaled their intent to sign the forward.
PSV sporting director Marcel Brands claims Liverpool are “a step ahead” of Manchester United in the battle to secure his services. The move could also mean that Jamaican-born forward Raheem Sterling could be pushed out of the club given his reluctance to sign a new contract.
“The list of interested clubs has grown in recent weeks. But Bayern Munich are not among the teams that want to sign him. It’s only logical that there is a lot of movement around Memphis. He is still a young player, but is already hugely efficient. He should be proud of that.”
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers have played down talks of Raheem Sterling moving in the summer.
“Raheem won’t be going anywhere this summer, even if there’s not a deal agreed. We’ve made that clear from the beginning. I think Raheem looks a lot more relaxed now than he has done for a while. We had a couple of good meetings. He came to the house and had a good chat on a personal level as well.”
The Liverpool manager believes that the welfare of Raheem Sterling is just as important. Rodgers stated, “It’s not just about the football side, it’s also about his welfare because he’s still young and he’s been through a lot in the last couple of years so I talked to him generally and I think he’s in a good place at the moment”.
“Look, everyone wants to win trophies, everyone wants to play in the big competitions but it’s also important that you have the opportunity to do that so we’ll just be reinforcing our stance that’s been in place all the way along — that this is the best club for him at this moment.”
The news could be music to the ears of the Anfield faithful after losing Luis Suarez last summer, Liverpool could ill-afford losing another star player given that the club have struggled to keep up with the top four this season.
The chase for Memphis Depay has signal the intention of improving their anemic attack. Depay has already scored 21 league goals and has been hailed as the future of Dutch football.
Will Liverpool sign Memphis Depay?
[Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images]
