Barcelona attacker Memphis Depay on the brink of joining new club for bargain €3m fee: Reports
Barcelona attacker Memphis Depay is on the verge of joining the Catalans' La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid for €3 million, according to Relevo journalist Toni Juanmarti.
Depay has his contract with La Liga giants Barcelona expiring at the end of the current season. However, he has been keen to secure a move away from Camp Nou during the ongoing winter transfer window.
There were claims that the Blaugrana are in talks with Inter Milan over a swap deal involving Depay and Joaquin Correa. However, the Netherlands international has his heart set on a transfer to Atletico Madrid.
Memphis Depay will NOT join Inter Milan this month. His priority is Atletico Madrid.
🚨 Memphis Depay will NOT join Inter Milan this month. His priority is Atletico Madrid.
(Source: @FabrizioRomano) https://t.co/5yX9y2UIJP
Xavi's side were reluctant to do business with Los Rojiblancos, who are one of their direct rivals in La Liga. Despite the hesitance, they seemingly agreed to let Depay leave if they received a fee in the region of €7 million or Yannick Carrasco in a swap deal.
The Madrid outfit, though, did not show a willingness to agree to either of those terms. While Barcelona initially had no plans to soften their stance, things now appear to have changed.
Atletico Madrid are close to reaching an agreement with the Blaugrana over Depay's transfer, as per Relevo. The Camp Nou outfit will pocket a meager sum of €3 million if Juanmarti is to be believed.
Barça y Atlético admiten que están muy cerca de acordar la salida de Memphis a cambio de un pequeño traspaso.
El neerlandés se ha ausentado del entrenamiento de hoy sin avisar. El club entiende que no es un acto de rebeldía.
💣💣 Memphis se va al Atlético… salvo que se estropee todo en los detalles finales. Cerca de 3M ingresará el Barça. twitter.com/relevo/status/…
The deal appears to have gained momentum after the Dutchman skipped training today, January 18. There were claims that the player could be fined by the club for doing so without an explanation.
However, Barcelona are said to be understanding of Depay's actions, according to the aforementioned source. They have reportedly thus decided not to punish him and will instead sanction a transfer to Wanda Metropolitano.
The former Manchester United attacker will now put pen to paper on a deal with Atletico Madrid. The transfer is expected to be finalized soon unless there are any last-minute hiccups.
How did Depay fare for Barcelona?
Depay joined Barcelona from French club Olympique Lyonnais on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. He moved to Camp Nou with high hopes, but ultimately found playing time hard to come by.
The Dutchman made 38 appearances across all competitions during his debut season with the Blaugrana. He netted 13 goals and provided two assists for his teammates in those matches.
The arrivals of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, though, saw Depay's playing time dwindle further. He has amassed just 116 minutes of playing time in La Liga this season.