Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that Memphis Depay “will play some games” for the club if he does not leave in the January transfer window.
Depay, 22, wants to move after making only one start for United this season — in the EFL Cup against Northampton Town, when he was substituted early in the second half — but Mourinho confirmed on Friday that no acceptable bid has been made for the Dutchman yet.
Sources close to Everton said last month that the Merseyside club had held talks with Depay.
Mourinho told Fox Sports: “I was informed by the club that there is a chance Memphis could leave. From a human point of view, I cannot stop him from leaving when he is not playing under me.
“If he is staying, I would be more than happy because he is a fantastic guy and a very good player. I feel so sorry that I am not giving him opportunities to play. A player of his age needs to be playing matches.
“If he stays with me, for sure, he will play some games because we have so many matches. If he leaves, we wish him all the best for the future because he is a fantastic kid.”
Depay has made eight appearances for United this season but five of those have been as a late substitute, coming on during the final 10 minutes of matches.
Explaining the lack of game time for the Netherlands international, who was signed in summer 2015 by former manager Louis van Gaal, Mourinho said: “We have a lot of players in Memphis’ position. It is the one position where we are overbooked really.
“We have a lot of players there. So it is not easy for any one of them to play.”
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