The president of Ligue 1 club Lyon Jean-Michel Aulas says that the capture of Manchester United's Memphis Depay is a "dream" signing after the Dutchman completed his move on Friday.

Kind of player that we are looking for

A lot was expected of Depay after his initial £31 million switch from PSV Eindhoven in May 2015, but he failed to kick on for the Red Devils - managing seven goals in 53 appearances.

Depay has featured very little under manager Jose Mourinho with only eight appearances this season and managed just eight minutes of game time since the end of October.

Rumours of an exit for the 22-year-old have been rife, and it is the French club that have won the race for his signature.

The initial fee is expected to be £16 million rising to £21.7 million, with the deal including buy-back and sell-on clauses.

Ahead of the of the move, Aulas stated that Depay's move to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais was a dream move for the club.

“It was a dream," Aulas told RMC Sport. "Because he corresponds exactly with the player we were looking for."

"In addition," he stated. "He has a certain panache."

“It’s true that José Mourinho didn’t play him that much," the president stressed. "So there was an opportunity for us to negotiate with Manchester United."

“This is a big operation because I think it will be around €16.5m," he concluded. "With up to eight million in bonuses. It’s a major investment."

A great professional

Many will speculate of why it didn't work for Depay at Old Trafford, with many citing that it down to how the youngster is portrayed in the light of a flash lifestyle with numerous cars and fashion sense.

However Mourinho played down those rumours, stating that he is a fantastic professional and that a lack of professionalism was not the reason for his exit.

"From my perspective instead of trying to say why it didn't work," Mourinho said. "I think it is easier for me - and he deserves me to say - that he was a fantastic professional."

"So if somebody thinks it didn't work because he was not a great professional," he stated. "It is totally wrong."

"One thing is some picture that somebody takes," the coach stressed. "With him in an amazing car or dressing in a very specific way, but the image is totally wrong."

"The guy is a fantastic professional," the Portuguese coach admitted. "He is a kid that respected everyone, a kid that tried to work hard to get more chances."

"A kid that was frustrated because he was not having that," Mourinho concluded. "But I only have good things to say about him."

Manchester United will take on Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday, January 21 with kick-off at 3pm GMT.