Transfer Rumour: Lille chief denies moves for Mamadou Sakho and Memphis Depay
Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille have no interest in signing Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho or Manchester United’s Memphis Depay, according to Marc Ingla.
The former marketing director of Barcelona is set to join Lille as the club’s new CEO, and spoke to French website RMC Sport. Ingla confirmed that Depay and Sakho are not heading to France, at least not according to information he possessed.
He said: "I prefer not to be so specific! But I think they will not come to the Lille, if you want an answer. We must ask the technical manager of today, also to Luis Campos, but according to my info, no."
Both Depay and Sakho have been linked with a move to a number of clubs including Lille, as they have been deemed surplus to requirement at their respective clubs. Sakho hasn’t made a single appearance for Liverpool this season, whilst Depay has managed just 20 minutes of league football under Jose Mourinho.
The Manchester United star, however, is close to signing for Everton on loan, according to reports in England. Everton boss Ronald Koeman is very keen on signing the 22-year-old, and has even confirmed interest in him publicly.
The Dutchman arrived at Manchester United last summer in a €34m deal, but has failed to make any sort of real impact at Old Trafford. Depay was apparently left out of Manchester United’s Europa League matches in December, as Jose Mourinho didn’t want to jeopardise his loan move in January and risk an injury.
It still remains to be seen if Mourinho might consider Depay in his long-term plans at Manchester United, but a lot would be dependent on how he performs during his loan spell in the second half of the season.
As for Sakho, West Bromwich Albion showed interest in signing him in the summer, but the Frenchman rejected a move to The Hawthorns. Latest reports suggest The Baggies have cooled down their interest in Sakho, and the 26-year-old might find it a little difficult to find a club for himself in January.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also made it quite clear that Sakho doesn’t have a future at Liverpool. The Frenchman has been training separately from the first team squad, but has been regularly featuring in matches for Liverpool U23s. Sakho’s troubles at Liverpool started in the summer when he was sent back early from a pre-season tour in the United States on disciplinary grounds.