Manchester United bringing Barcelona forward Memphis Depay to Old Trafford would be "smart business", claims journalist Dean Jones.

The Netherlands international is currently being linked with a move to Erik ten Hag's side following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

What is the latest news involving Depay?

According to SPORT, United are following Depay, who earns around £175,000 a week at Barcelona, closely ahead of the January transfer window.

The same outlet also claims that Ten Hag is a fan of the player and believes he has matured a lot since his first spell at Old Trafford.

Depay joined United from PSV Eindhoven back in 2015 but did not have a great time there, scoring just seven times in 53 appearances for the Red Devils.

For the majority of his career, though, Depay has proven that he is a goalscorer, registering on 147 occasions since making his professional senior debut.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Jones said about Depay potentially returning to Old Trafford?

Jones thinks it would be good business if United re-signed Depay and is confident that things would go better for him this time around under Ten Hag.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer reporter said: "Ten Hag would get more out of him, I think, than United managed to in his last spell at Old Trafford. It could actually be pretty smart business while they figure out who the long-term number nine is going to be."

Could a bad World Cup put off United?

Possibly. Most of Depay's success has come at Lyon and PSV, who obviously do not play in the strongest division.

Across his spells at those two clubs, the 28-year-old, who has been described as a "decisive" footballer by Ruud van Nistelrooy, scored an impressive 126 goals. At United and Barcelona, though, he has been nowhere near as effective. Last season, for example, he failed to register at all in the six Champions League games he played.

The question is, then, can Depay perform on the biggest stage? The Netherlands star looks to have the talent to, but a poor World Cup, and United could start to have doubts if they do not already.

Nevertheless, he is probably worth taking a punt on. Depay is out of contract next summer and Barcelona reportedly want him out as soon as possible, so he should not cost United too much money.

Ultimately, with Ronaldo no longer at the Manchester outfit, Ten Hag could do with another No.9 coming in. And as a temporary fix, he could do a lot worse than Depay.

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