José Mourinho explains the reasons for Memphis Depay’s Manchester United exile

It won't come as much of a surprise to learn that Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is keen to leave Old Trafford in January.

The Dutch international, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham, has failed to make an impact since arriving from PSV Eindhoven for £25m in 2015. He has started just once this season, in a League Cup victory over Northampton Town, and has not featured at all since the Europa League victory over Feyenoord more than a month ago. And now, in a move which will shock pretty much no one, manager José Mourinho has confirmed he has no plans to use a player who has already expressed his desire to leave.

Memphis has not featured for United's first team since November (photo credit: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

"I have to say that in the past couple of months my decisions in relation to Memphis were influenced by the feelings and information that he would like to leave in January and that we were going to have a real offer that we would be willing to accept," Mourinho said.

"If I know, if I have the feeling that a player is leaving - if I have to give chances and develop other players. "It was not that last season he was playing phenomenally and this season he is not playing at all. That's not the situation."

The 22-year-old has featured in just four Premier League games in the current campaign, making late substitute appearances against Bournemouth, Watford, Stoke City and Burnley.