Marcel van der Kraan has told talkSPORT Manchester United stole Memphis Depay from under the noses of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Dutchman completed a £25million move to Old Trafford on Thursday, but it was widely expected in Holland he would join one of the rivals for his signature.

“Up until about 48 hours ago he wasn’t going to go there [Manchester United],” Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan told Hawksbee and Jacobs. “There was a bigger chance he would go to PSG or Liverpool.

“We understand Liverpool were real serious contenders, because United weren’t involved. He had a strong favour for the Premier League and he was flattered by the interest from Liverpool. Bolo Zenden and Dirk Kuyt told him he would get playing time there and it would be a great set-up for him to develop.

“But what happened in the last 48 hours was Man United became aware of the fact PSG were prepared to go a long, long way financially [to sign him]. The money PSG are offering to players is, I understand, flabbergasting.

“But Man United attracts players much more than PSG, even though they’ve had a difficult one and a half years. PSG can lure them only with money.

“Depay had not heard that much from United. They wanted to be kept in the loop, but that was it, but then came the moment when he could be signing for someone else and then ‘bang’, there was a real forceful hand at Old Trafford and from that moment on they wanted to do it. And they did it.

“It just shows the determination they have to get things right for next season.”