Memphis Depay: Winger reveals rejecting Liverpool and PSG to join Manchester United

Memphis Depay has revealed he rejected "concrete" approaches from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain to join Manchester United. He moved to Old Trafford in the summer after helping PSV Eindhoven win the Eredivisie last season.

The Dutch club's sporting director Marcel Brands revealed the Reds were keen on securing the winger's services before he sealed a £31m ($46.3m) move to United. However, Depay revealed that a quick and direct approach convinced him to snub advances from Liverpool and the French champions and sign for the 20-time English champions.

"I spoke to Liverpool, they were really concrete, but because of an injury in their team they wanted to wait a bit," Depay told Dutch newspaper AD, as posted on his official Facebook page.

"After that, Paris Saint Germain came. They were really concrete too... It's quite hard, because as a footballer, you're not in control of everything. Some clubs wait with putting together their team until the summer arrives, while we were already negotiating in May.

"With SEG, my agency, I sat down and considered everything, but then Manchester United came. Very quick and very direct. At that moment you immediately know: this is it. This is the absolute top. As a club, but also the league."

Depay also admitted Tottenham Hotspur were interested in signing him after the 2014 Fifa World Cup. He said, "One year earlier, Tottenham Hotspur were interested. I've thought about it, but my sense of honour is the most important thing."

"I thought: if I become champion with PSV and top scorer of the Dutch league, something bigger will come. I told myself to aim higher."

Since making a switch to England, Depay has failed to replicate his PSV form that saw him finish the previous campaign as the Eredivisie's top scorer. He has scored two goals in 13 Premier League appearances for his current employers and Van Gaal had urged him to improve his game in order to cement a place in the starting XI.

Netherlands coach Danny Blind was pleased by Depay's improvement as he went on to suggest the Dutch international is the player for the future. The former PSV star has vowed to further improve his game in order to become the best player in the world.

"I've always had that, from the time I was a kid. Being the best. Stand out. Aim as high as you can. I don't exactly know what it is, but I just don't want to be average. It never really was my dream to become a football player. My dream was to become the best football player!" he concluded.