Ah, Kevin Strootman. A name that holds a special place in the hearts of transfer-hungry Manchester United fans…
Along with countryman Wesley Sneijder and Nico Gaitan, Strootman was one of those players who seemed almost certain to be arriving at Old Trafford on at least a couple of occasions… only for it never to actually happen.
Now, after five years with AS Roma, the Dutch international has finalised a move to Marseille. The Ligue 1 side confirmed Strootman’s arrival with a Fortnite-inspired announcement video on Tuesday afternoon.
“Let's announce our next signing quietly”
– or not 🍊#KevinEstOlympien pic.twitter.com/1EOSvts7Me
— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) August 28, 2018
The 28-year-old midfielder cost the French club £22.7m and leaves Roma having made 44 appearances for them over the course of last season – featuring several times in their run to the Champions League semi-finals.
“The club would like to thank Kevin for his service over the years, and wishes him all the best for the future,” a Roma statement said.
While at Roma, Strootman established himself as a key player in the Dutch national side under Louis van Gaal but missed out on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil due to a serious knee injury. This, along with another knee injury he suffered after making his return the following January, is thought to have prevented him from following Van Gaal to United.
Rudi Garcia, who was Roma’s manager at the time of Strootman’s arrival in the Italian capital, is now in charge of Marseille.
