In a recent tweet, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Barcelona have identified Olympique Lyonnais winger Memphis Depay as ‘a real target’ during this ongoing transfer window. It is believed that Barca boss Ronald Koeman is trying to convince the club’s board to get a deal over the line for the Dutch attacker before next month’s transfer deadline.
Ronald Koeman: “Depay or Lautaro Martinez? I’m not ruling anything out…”. The real target for Barça is Memphis Depay. First bid ready to be submitted by weeks [€30m/add ons inc] – Koeman is trying to convince the board. Lautaro is going to stay at Inter. 🔵🔴 #FCB #transfers
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 26, 2020
Depay’s Incredible Form For Lyon Recently
The Moordrecht-born playmaker has made a promising start to this Ligue 1 campaign as he has already produced some mesmerising displays on the left side of Rudi Garcia’s attack. He has already banged in four goals in four league matches for Lyon this term.
The 26-year-old experienced a fruitful campaign at the Groupama Stadium last season when he netted 15 goals and grabbed two assists in 22 appearances across various competitions. Depay was a consistent performer in French football as he averaged 3.7 shots, 1.9 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per game in top-flight football. The Dutchman even managed to distribute possession relatively well after completing 78.8% of his attempted passes in the top tier of France (stats via whoscored).
Depay could be tempted with the opportunity to join the Catalans this summer as it will give him the platform to perform at top gear and win some major trophies at the highest level. However, he won’t be guaranteed regular game time as he will have to battle it out with Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati for a first-team place at the Nou Camp in the coming seasons.
What Will The Dutch Wing Wizard Add To Koeman’s Side?
Depay can use his quickness to lose his marker in the final third and has converted himself into a prolific finisher in front of the opposition goal. He has a knack for scoring goals from the left flank but is also versatile enough to feature as a centre-forward or as an attacking midfielder if required.
The Dutch playmaker has got the technical qualities required to succeed at a club like Barca even though he will be expected to perform at his best week in week out if he decides to join Ronald Koeman’s revolution at the Nou Camp this summer.
Will Depay Be The Right Choice For Barca?
Depay will add plenty of goals to the Catalan outfit’s frontline and has got what it takes to increase competition for places within Koeman’s match-day squad. Plus, he will also help Barca stay competitive in both domestic and European competitions in the years to come.
At 26, Depay is currently playing at his peak, which makes him an ideal choice for the Spanish club to consider during this summer transfer period. Plus, Koeman needs more players he can trust, so his team can benefit a lot from adding a player like Depay, who the Barca boss knows well from their time together with the Netherlands national side.
