“Neymar vibes”, “We should consider keeping him” – Barcelona fans salute 28-year-old star for ‘very impressive’ performance in 2-1 win over Mallorca
Barcelona ended a run of three consecutive home defeats by beating relegation-threatened Mallorca 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday evening.
Goals in either half from Memphis Depay and Sergio Busquets were enough for the Blaugrana to return to second-place in the table, nine points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis.
Fans of the Catalonian giants have heaped praise on Depay, with the 28-year-old putting in a mesmerizing display which was capped off by a superb goal. The forward got onto the end of a long ball from Jordi Alba before expertly finishing on the half-volley to put Barcelona ahead in the 25th minute.
It has been a difficult debut season at the Camp Nou for the Dutch international since his arrival from Lyon on a free transfer last summer. He has started less than half of Barca's top-flight matches across the campaign.
Depay has predominantly been used as a left-winger under new manager Xavi Hernandez, and has netted 11 times in 33 appearances for the club.
Barca fans took to Twitter to express their appreciation for the former Manchester United forward following his excellent performance against Mallorca. Depay was even compared to former Blaugrana winger Neymar:
Barcelona forward linked with Premier League move
Expectations were high for Depay upon his arrival, but it's fair to say he has so far failed to live up to the hype.
He had only signed a two-year contract at Camp Nou on arrival in 2021. With Barca desperate for funds this summer to improve their squad, speculation has built that the Dutchman may be moving on this summer.
In April, it was reported by Superdeporte that Premier League trio Newcastle United, Arsenal and Everton have all expressed an interest in offering Depay a chance to return to English football.
Depay signed for Manchester United in 2015, but failed to settle in at Old Trafford, scoring just seven times in 55 Red Devils appearances. He was sold to Lyon 18 months after his arrival at Old Trafford.