Memphis Depay Deal and Gareth Bale Talk Shows Promise for Manchester United

It is the season for transfer talk, and Manchester United's interest in Gareth Bale and Memphis Depay has been in the news.

United boss Louis van Gaal has personally spoken with Depay, whom he nurtured at international level, as confirmed by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

And it appears that Van Gaal may well get the chance to transfer that international relationship to club level, as the Red Devils have confirmed a deal has been struck, subject to a medical.

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#mufc has reached an agreement with PSV Eindhoven & Memphis Depay for the player's transfer, subject to a medical. pic.twitter.com/RdrJglzQGv

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 7, 2015"

As for Bale, in a separate Manchester Evening News story, Luckhurst writes: 

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Gareth Bale's woeful Real Madrid performance at Juventus on Tuesday night has compelled his busy agent to reiterate he is “100 per cent focused” on Real, rather than angling for a Manchester United transfer.

It is a case of when, not if, Bale leaves Spain but while he is favoured by Real president Florentino Perez he can consider himself safe.

There is ongoing speculation, though, that Bale is willing to return to England and if United get a whiff of that their interest will increase.

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Of course, links in the press and actually signing players are markedly different matters. However, after last year's high-profile acquisitions, it is easier to take links with elite players seriously.

Juan Mata, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao have all endured mixed fortunes at United, but the fact that all of them currently wear United red would have been hard to believe 18 months ago.

The key this time around, though, is not necessarily for United to sign blockbuster names. Rather, it is vital that they seek to add the balance to the squad that Van Gaal has been talking about since at least September last year, per Paul Wilson in The Guardian.

Bale and Depay fall into two slightly different categories, but both would add to the balance of United's attack in terms of being effective wingers.

Bale would presumably come at a higher cost, but he is a proven commodity in the Premier League. Given his move to Real Madrid and his impact there in his first season, he must surely come under the heading of a blockbuster signing.

Depay is a promising young player rather than a guaranteed success. He has been effective in this season's Eredivisie in the Netherlands, scoring 21 goals in 28 games on PSV Eindhoven's left wing. However, the standard in the Netherlands is obviously some way below that of the Premier League.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

While, say, Luis Suarez and Ruud van Nistelrooy managed to translate goals in the Dutch league into Premier League success, Mateja Kezman and Afonso Alves did not.

However, Depay's performances in the World Cup—and the fact that Van Gaal knows him well—might mean he is closer to the first category than the second.

Both he and Bale represent potential valuable additions to United. They would both offer options for Van Gaal if he is looking to play 4-3-3, something both men have done a lot in their career.

Confirmation of the deal for Depay also offers hope that the Red Devils are looking to conduct their business early in the transfer window. This will make a marked difference from last season.

Between the change in manager, the impact of the World Cup and, presumably, some difficulties in acquiring certain high-profile targets, United left a good deal of their business until late in the window. This time around, Van Gaal would benefit greatly from knowing the makeup of his squad as early as possible.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

It seems more likely that a deal for Depay could be wrapped up quickly.

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Breaking: Memphis Depay joining Manchester United. Rest of PSV squad just been told and congratulated player (via @thijsslegers) #mufc #lfc

— Marcus Christenson (@m_christenson) May 7, 2015"

Bale, on the other hand, could well fall into the "transfer-saga" category.

United should, as the adage goes, hope for the best but plan for the worst in terms of Bale. They should ensure that key areas of weakness in the squad are addressed whether or not the Welshman's fire-power can be added to Van Gaal's selection.

Either way, if links with good defenders and exciting attackers keep being made, then this summer could offer a great deal of promise for the season ahead. Signings do not guarantee success, of course, but a genuine shot at the title will be a lot more likely if United get this transfer window right.