Memphis Depay: Why the £25m signing should be Manchester United's next free-kick taker

Netherlands international has an excellent record from dead-ball situations

Memphis Depay (GETTY IMAGES)

Memphis Depay could become Manchester United's next primary free-kick taker once he completes his £25m move from PSV Eindhoven.

The Netherlands international has an excellent record from dead-ball situations, a skill confirmed over the weekend when he scored from 35-yards in his final home match for his current club.

The strike was his seventh goal from a free-kick this season - coming from 30 attempts. To give that record some context, Lionel Messi has had 35 attempts and scored two, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo has had 31 attempts and scored just once this season.

The free-kick department has been an area in which Manchester United have been severely lacking in recent years.

This season, United have scored just two goals from set-pieces with one apiece for Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata. The season before they managed five but in the campaign before that, just one goal came directly from a free-kick.

For a club that produced arguably the greatest free-kick taker of all-time in David Beckham, the arrival of a dead-ball specialist will be more than welcome.