Manchester United buy-back clauses revealed: Can Jose Mourinho get back Memphis Depay and Adnan Januzaj?
Januzaj left Old Trafford to join Real Sociedad in June 2017, while Depay departed for Lyon in January that year
MANCHESTER UNITED have buy-back clauses in both Memphis Depay and Adnan Januzaj's contracts.
Both players left Old Trafford in 2017 after failing to make the grade despite big things being expected of them.
Januzaj, 23, joined Real Sociedad in the summer in a deal worth around £9million after once being regarded as one of the academy's hottest prospects.
But he flopped in loan spells with Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund, and United decided to cut their losses.
Memphis, 24, was already making it in the game when Louis Van Gaal splashed out £26m - rising to £31m, to bring him in from PSV Eindhoven in 2015.
But Jose Mourinho didn't seem a big fan, and shipped him off to Lyon for £16m.
But SunSport can reveal that BOTH players have buy-back clauses in their respective deals with their clubs.
After seeing Paul Pogba leave on a free in 2012 and then having to shell out £89m to bring him back, and signing Wilfried Zaha for £10m in 2013 before letting him leave for just £3m two years later, it appears the club have learnt their lesson.
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WAYNE ROONEY ON... MEMPHIS DEPAY
"Memphis? He came on at Stoke away and messed up for their goal so Louis van Gaal made him play for the reserves the next day.
"I said, 'Look, it's a bit difficult for you. Just don't come in with all your fancy stuff'.
"And he turned up for the reserve game in his Rolls-Royce, wearing a leather jacket and a cowboy hat.
"And I just thought, 'What's the point?'
“But Memphis is a lovely lad and it’s good to see things going well for him now.”
And with Januzaj making his mark in La Liga and on the international stage with Belgium, and Memphis pulling up trees in Ligue 1, they could yet return to Manchester.
Memphis' latest feat came in the Netherlands' stunning victory over the world champs France in the Nations League where he scooped the man of the match award.
The 24-year-old produced a moment of magic with a panenka penalty during Friday's 2-0 win - humiliating Spurs shot-stopper Hugo Lloris.
It led to an outpouring of begging on social media for the club to bring the 24-year-old back to the Premeir League giants.
And he has replicated his international form with his club Lyon - notching up five goals and five assists in 13 appearances.
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SunSport reported back in September that Mourinho has not ruled out a return for Memphis.
Asked why he could return, Mourinho said: “Because potentially he’s a very good player.
“I think when Mr Van Gaal decided to buy him he did well, he knew him very well from the national team, he was very young when at the World Cup he had flashes of top quality.
“He was playing well in Holland, we know the Dutch league is not the same but he was showing very good things.
“So I think Mr Van Gaal and Manchester United did very well to buy him.
“He didn’t succeed in his 18 months but he’s very young.
“I think it’s important for the club to complete control of this talent and we all wish he plays very, very well at Lyon and why not to come back because everyone here likes him.”