£26m Man Utd flop Italy-bound in January after dreadful 18 months in England

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Down the years, many Premier League clubs have taken a chance on a player after he dazzled in the Dutch league.

These deals sometimes work out – see Jaap Stam, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

However, it is equally common for players who have shone in the Eredivisie to struggle in England – Mateja Kezman, Afonso Alves, Vincent Janssen and Memphis Depay for instance.

Depay arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2015 with a big reputation and a £26m price tag, per The Express, after scoring 22 league goals for PSV Eindhoven as they romped to the Dutch title, finishing 17 points ahead of Ajax.

Goals have been far harder to come by in England for Depay, who has so far netted just twice in 36 Premier League appearances.

Still young, 22-year-old Depay has plenty of time to get his career back on track, but that may not happen at Old Trafford.

Italian publication Corriere dello Sport report that Depay is close to completing a deal which will see him sign for Roma in January.

Roma are currently in need of a replacement for former Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah, who recently suffered ankle ligament damage.

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