Ronald Koeman asks Barcelona to sign Memphis Depay
The new Barcelona manager working on his first signing.
Ronald Koeman appears to be wasting little time in his quest to improve the Barcelona squad. According to Diario Sport, the Dutch manager has reportedly asked the club to sign Lyon forward Memphis Depay.
Koeman is looking for a replacement for Luis Suarez and thinks that the Dutch forward would be the perfect candidate.
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Depay is not an out-and-out striker and is a different type of player than Suarez. He can play on the wings in addition to scoring. He is a more mobile forward which is something that Koeman wants. A player who can go at defenders but also finish when presented with a chance.
Suarez used to be able to do that when he was at Ajax and Liverpool and a in his first few years at Barcelona. But age has caught up to him and he is not as mobile as he once was. He’s lost a step or two and has become too much of a liability.
Depay has a contract at Lyon at 2021. If the Catalans want to sign him now, they would have to pay at least €40 million according to Diario AS.
Depay scored six goals in eight Champions League games and nine in 13 Ligue 1 matches. A decent return considering he spent a good chunk of the season out injured.
Suarez has no intention of leaving Barcelona.
What could be an obstacle in their pursuit of Depay is that Suarez is not planning on leaving the club. Despite not being one of the names mentioned by Josep Maria Bartomeu as “untouchable,” the Uruguayan believes he still has a lot to offer.
He has one year left on his deal and wants to fulfill his contract. His former side Ajax is reportedly interested in him and have been in talks with him over a potential return.
The interest in Depay is somewhat unexpected considering Barcelona have been chasing Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez for months now. The Argentine appeared to be their main priority but things must have changed when Koeman took over.
The club have made it known that they will need to be cautious in the transfer market and in order to buy, they need to sell. They need to make the right signings after years of spending in the triple digits and getting back little in return.
Convincing the likes of Suarez and other veteran players that it’s time to move on will be a tough sell. But it’s a necessary one.
Next. Koeman convinces Dutch superstar from Liverpool to sign for Barcelona. dark
Whether or not Memphis Depay is a player who could succeed at the club remains to be seen. Whatever they have planned they need to be quick as the new league season begins in a matter of weeks.