Manchester United Transfer News: Rumours on Memphis Depay, Radja Nainggolan

Tottenham Hotspur are positioning themselves to steal reported Manchester United transfer target Memphis Depay from under the Red Devils' nose, with Dutch sources reporting manager Mauricio Pochettino traveled to the Netherlands to watch the youngster in person.

OptaJohan's Michiel Jongsma reported the news:

Metro's Will Giles translated the original report from De Telegraaf, claiming United are preparing a bid of £10 million, with PSV holding out for double that and Spurs willing to meet said valuation:

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The 21-year-old has long been linked with a move to United, with Louis van Gaal thought to be preparing a bid in the region of £10 million to bring his compatriot to Old Trafford.

But Spurs are keen to beat their Premier League rivals to the highly-rated youngster, and according to de Telegraaf are willing to meet PSV’s valuation of £20 million.

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The translation isn't entirely correct—De Telegraaf's original article states PSV is hoping for more than €20 million in the summer and makes no mention of Tottenham's willingness to pay such a fee (as translated by the author).

The sum appeared to confuse several other outlets, as 101 Great Goals suggested the Dutch side had turned down a €20 million bid last summer, something the article also didn't mention:

The confusion isn't surprising—apart from the obvious language barrier, it's difficult to gauge exactly how much the 21-year-old would be worth on the open market. Depay is a fantastic talent playing in one of the attack-friendliest leagues in Europe, so analysing his raw numbers is a challenge.

Those numbers are pretty fantastic, however, per OptaJohan:

Depay worked under manager Louis van Gaal during the 2014 World Cup, so it's easy to link the young star to Old Trafford. His progression in the 2014-15 season has so far been spectacular, and there's little doubt he'll be moving to a bigger league in the summer of 2015.

The valuation of £20 million seems about right, although the eventual price tag could be slightly lower due to the Eredivisie's financial status and the current weakness of the Euro.

Pochettino's presence at one of his matches is a concern, but if Depay built up a strong relationship with Van Gaal in Brazil, it shouldn't be considered a major issue. If the Dutch international wants to play for his former manager, that's where he'll be headed.

Tottenham aren't the only club trying to steal one of United's reported targets, according to the Daily Express' Ben Jefferson. He reports that Liverpool are planning a move for AS Roma's Radja Nainggolan as part of a series of purchases on the peninsula, corroborated by the Daily Star's Garry Doolan (via Metro Sport):

The 26-year-old Belgian has emerged as one of the top midfielders in Italy, combining an incredible motor and fantastic physical ability with underrated technique and vision. Nainggolan is a wrecking ball, resembling Nigel de Jong off the ball and team-mate Kevin Strootman on it.

As Strootman's natural replacement when the Dutchman went down with an injury, he established himself as one of Roma's key players. But with Strootman now nearing full health again, the Giallorossi have quality midfielders to spare.

One of the duo could be available for the right price, and while United have mainly been linked with Strootman, per the Daily Mirror's Simon Mullock, Nainggolan's defensive abilities could actually make him the better fit.

Roma only recently completed the full transfer of the Belgium international, and as of right now, a transfer seems unlikely. That doesn't mean both United and Liverpool shouldn't try, but given Roma's success during his lengthy absence, Strootman may actually be more readily available right now.

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