Manchester United overpaid for Depay, says Ronald Koeman

Ronald Koeman isn't optimistic about Memphis Depay's big-money move to Manchester United, where he feels the club overpaid for a player he suspects won't see the pitch on a regular basis.

The Southampton boss, who had hoped to lure Depay to St. Mary's Stadium, also doubts the Dutch international's ability to successfully make the transition to England's top flight and the grueling schedule compared to the Eredivisie.

"I think they paid a lot of money," Koeman told the Sunday Mirror. "Because it is United, where they already spent £200 million on players like Angel Di Maria, such a big figure is put in perspective.

"He (Depay) won't play every game. I have learnt, while I am here in England, that Dutch players can't make the jump to the top of the Premier League easily. And young players can't play 38 games anyway.

"If you pay millions for Di Maria, who hardly plays, if you pay a fortune in wages and rent fee for (on-loan) Radamel Falcao, who never plays, then £25 million is not a lot of money for them."

Depay made the switch from PSV Eindhoven in May for a transfer fee believed to be worth £25 million, joining fellow countrymen Robin van Persie and Daley Blind.

Koeman's comments could add fuel to his feud with United boss Louis van Gaal, who also managed Depay at the World Cup in Brazil. The pair of Dutch managers have a well-documented rivalry since their days at Ajax, when a disagreement over van Gaal's role as technical director and Koeman's job as coach led to their rocky relationship.