Lyon president Aulas: Depay deal imminent

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas believes Manchester United attacker Memphis Depay will be a Lyon player within 48 hours.

Depay is on the verge of completing a move to the Ligue 1 club after failing to establish himself at Old Trafford following his switch from PSV in 2015.

The Netherlands international arrived in France on Wednesday to agree terms on what is expected to be a four-and-a-half-year deal and Aulas is excited by the transfer.

“We’ve gambled on a player who wants to demonstrate his immense talent,” he told RMC Sport.

“There was a lot of interest in him from his time with the Netherlands and with Eindhoven, where he had two fantastic seasons.

“When you see him evolving, you get the impression that he really wants to show his talent.”

Discussing how Depay will fit into the squad, Aulas continued: “It was a dream because he matched the type of player we were looking for. He also has a certain panache.

“It’s true that [United manager] Jose Mourinho didn’t play him too much, so there was an opportunity for us to negotiate with Manchester United.

“For the moment we have agreed in principle but we still need to write up a contract, which is a bit complicated because there are quite a few bonuses.

“This is a big operation because I think it will be around €16.5million, with up to €8m in bonuses. It’s a big investment.

“But we are used to working with Manchester United, which is a very structured club and generally keeps its word. We worked with them on the deal for Rafael some time ago.

“It’s ongoing but I think it will take another 48 hours to be completed.”

Asked whether Depay could feature when Lyon face Marseille on Sunday, Aulas added: “I think it will be a little early because we are yet to finalise the documents.

“The more we hurry, the less we are able to defend our interests. We will try.

“If it takes 24 hours he could be ready. If it’s a little more, he will not play on Sunday.”