The Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that the club were never interested in signing Memphis Depay, the Dutch winger who will join Manchester United ahead of the new season.

The Merseyside club were long linked with Depay, and at one stage were said to be the front-runners to sign the 21-year-old from Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven. However, the player confirmed on Thursday that he was moving to Old Trafford. The fee is believed to be in the region of £25m.

“It [signing Depay] wasn’t something that was ever one we were interested in,” Rodgers said on Friday. “He is a young, talented player but we already have four wingers at the club: Raheem Sterling, Jordon Ibe, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic.

“We have other priorities we are looking at through the course of the summer but with the players we have in those positions, particularly on the left side, we are quite well stocked.”

Rodgers has also confirmed that Daniel Sturridge is likely to be out of action until at least September having undergone a hip operation in the United States. “It is not just about fitness but football fitness, and that takes a bit of time,” said the Liverpool manager ahead of his team’s visit to Chelsea on Sunday.

“The important thing will be to let him recover, work hard in his rehab and we have great support from our owners in that he is able to go to the world’s leading specialists in America.

“He has been a big miss to us this season but let’s hope he can get back fit and contribute to the club. Once he’s fully fit we know what he can produce and if he is at that level of fitness he can certainly be a key player for us.”