Memphis Depay has asked to leave Man United, says Mourinho
Depay has started just one game under Jose Mourniho at Manchester United this season, something which the Portuguese boss says is a result of the Dutchman's desire to leave the club.Manchester United v. Manchester City live online
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Jose Mourinho revealed Memphis Depay has made his intention to leave Manchester United clear when he was asked to explain the Dutch player's absence from his plans this season.
Depay made a £25 million move from PSV Eindhoven in summer 2015 but has started just one senior game under Mourinho since August and made only four appearances from the bench (a total of 20 minutes on the field) in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old Netherlands international is now linked with a move to Everton and AS Roma in January and Mourinho says he must now make do with his bit part role given his admission that he wants to leave.
"In the past couple of months, my decisions in relation to Memphis were influenced by the feelings and information that he would like to leave in January and that we were going to have a real offer that we would be willing to accept," Mourinho told a news conference.
"He would like to leave in January"
"That obviously influences me […]We had this conversation with a few players and we left things very, very clear. If I know, if I have the feeling that a player is leaving, I have to give chances to and develop other players.
"So then I go to [Jesse] Lingard, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, [Anthony] Martial, the players I know 100 percent are going to stay with us. And it is also a position where we have more options.
"Memphis was not playing last season. It was not that last season he was playing phenomenally and now this season he is not playing at all. That's not the situation.
“When I have the feeling and information that the player probably has a big chance to leave, then I have to care more about the others.
"But if you arrive in January and nothing happens -- and we have lots of matches -- then if he is going to be my player until the end of the season I will help him and he will be useful for us.
"But the players who are not having many chances to play, we don't have the right to stop them leaving."