One of the players that Ronald Koeman wanted, as soon as he was made the manager of Barcelona was Memphis Depay. The Catalans had let go of Uruguayan legend, Luis Suarez, and they needed a replacement for him. Koeman had deemed Martin Braithwaite as a misfit in Barcelona, and he wanted a new number nine. Depay was his main choice, and the deal almost happened until the last moment, when Ousmane Dembele decided that he would not move to Manchester United. Thus Barca were unable to find funds for the player last season. However, they managed to get him for free this transfer window, and he is ready to play alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero.
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The 27-year-old Dutch winger/striker had a massive revolution since his days playing with Manchester United, and now he is a much more refined player. Koeman worked with him in his days as Netherland’s manager, and Depay was the player he built the team around. The former Lyon player was playing as a winger at that time, however, Koeman had different plans for him. He tried out the player in a number nine position and made him the target man. This worked wonders and the two built a great relationship.
Memphis Depay feels confident at Barcelona
In an interview with SPORT, Memphis Depay shed some light upon his work with the Barca manager. He said,
"“[Koeman] has had a great impact on me, in important years. He was able to change the Netherlands team, he counted on me, he gave me confidence. Now he has wanted to count on me for this adventure in Barcelona, so he has undoubtedly been a relevant figure.”Source Goal"
Speaking about his new teammates, he said that he has nothing but respect for everyone in the team however, there is one player who is on another level, Lionel Messi. The Dutch striker cannot wait to play with the living legend, and he is confident that the two will be compatible on the pitch. He said that not only is Messi a great individual player, he is also a great team player, and that is why they will have good chemistry. Apart from Messi, he also praised newcomer, Sergio Aguero. He said in the interview,
"“We have many attackers, but all different in my opinion. I have different abilities and strengths than Sergio Aguero, for example, or any other player.”“I think the three of us are compatible and different, but we are going to see how everything happens.”"
Depay and Aguero will surely bring more goals to the table, and we cannot wait to see their impact on the field. Both of these players are incredibly gifted, and with Messi leading the two, there will be absolute harmony amongst the three. The Dutch connection is already growing in the team, and now the Argentine has his friend and compatriot as well. Barcelona will be a completely new side in the next season, and could easily be Atletico Madrid’s biggest rivals.
Are you excited to watch Memphis Depay at the Nou Camp?