In a recent tweet, journalist Gerard Romero claimed that Barcelona are hoping to sign Inter Milan ace Joaquin Correa in a swap deal that would see Memphis Depay head in the other direction. It has been claimed that the Catalan club are eyeing a move to sign the Argentine sensation and could give up Depay in the process.
☎ ÚLTIMA HORA
Barça e Inter de Milán muy cerca de cerrar una operación de intercambio entre Memphis Depay y Joaquín Correa
Esta operación SOLO tiraría adelante si Memphis da el OK de su salidahttps://t.co/OGW0AKAWMl pic.twitter.com/Aieu5488yz
— Jijantes FC (@JijantesFC) January 15, 2023
Correa’s Lack Of Consistency In Italian Football This Season
Correa has experienced an inconsistent campaign at San Siro but has put in a few productive displays for Inter in the final third. The 28-year-old has registered three goals and three assists in 21 matches for the Italian club this season across all competitions.
The talented forward has made most of his appearances off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.6 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A. However, he has been a bit untidy with his ball distribution after completing 72.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
Correa is under contract at the Italian club until the summer of 2025. However, he could benefit from a change of scenery this month if he wants to play more often on the pitch.
What Will Correa Add To Barcelona Head Coach Xavi’s Team?
Correa is proficient at engineering space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He can also set up some decent plays for others around him. Correa is primarily a secondary striker but can also play on his own up top or function as a left-sided wide player if required. However, the Argentine talent needs to ensure more first-team starts if he wants to make the most out of the rest of his playing career.
We can expect Correa to add some much-needed depth to Xavi‘s match-day squad at the Nou Camp. He could even serve as an ideal understudy to Robert Lewandowski at the Catalan club. At 28, the Argentine sensation is about to enter his prime and could help Barcelona challenge across all competitions in the future.
However, only time will tell whether Barca can arrange a move for him before the end of this month. Plus, there are some question marks over whether he would be a good fit for Xavi’s style of play.
Still, it makes sense for the Barcelona boss to recruit him in exchange for Memphis Depay who has struggled to play a prominent role for Barcelona this season.