If there is one thing, Manchester United have been missing up front is a sense of pace and unpredictability.

That is something, their soon-to-be new signing Memphis Depay can provide if all goes well.

The Dutch international has scored 21 league goals in 28 games this season to help his club PSV Eindhoven to a first Eredivisie title since 2008.

Like many of the new breed of widemen, Depay is often played as an inverted winger - in his case lining up on the left and peppering numerous shots on goal with his right foot.

Indeed, 15 of his 21 goals this season have come from that foot and interestingly, a high proportion of his goals have come from long range as this Squawka graphic shows:

This Squawka graphic the abundant number of goals he has scored from long range

Given his propensity to try to shoot from range (he attempts over five shots per match), his shot accuracy is below 50 per cent, although his actual shot-to-goal conversion rate isn't bad at about 16 per cent.

In terms of creativity, he has laid on only four assists and only attempts one cross per game on average.

As for expectations at Man United, the positive for fans is that manager Louis van Gaal will have seen him at close quarters over a sustained length of time, having given him his international debut and then managed him at the World Cup, where he was an impact sub, scoring against Australia in an exciting 3-2 win: 

The chances are that he will line up on the left hand side for United, which would be workable in a 4-3-3 or in a 4-2-3-1.

But flexibility is a key asset under LVG and that may influence how Depay is deployed within the tactical map.

Either way expect plenty of shots on goal and this is definitely the first shot of the transfer window well and truly fired.

For more stats on Memphis Depay and other players, go to leading statistics website Squawka.