Barcelona willing to allow 28-year-old star to leave for free in January - Reports
According to Revolo (via Barca Blaugranes), Barcelona are prepared to let Memphis Depay leave Camp Nou on a free transfer in January.
The winger's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but the Catalan giants are willing to let him leave right after the World Cup if he wants to.
The Dutchman has fallen down the pecking order at Camp Nou, having played just two La Liga games, where he has scored one goal. He has also done little to aid Barcelona's Champions League efforts, racking up just 15 minutes of continental game time.
πͺπΌπΏπΉπ± πππ½ bound! π³π± πͺπΌπΏπΉπ± πππ½ bound!
@Memphis is in Netherlands' squad for the World Cup!
Good luck, Memphis! https://t.co/sO85m0SDBL
The Blaugrana have no intentions of keeping Depay at the club, even though his performances have not necessarily dipped. Overall, he has 14 goals and two assists to his name in 41 games for the Catalan club across competitions. However, they are looking to reduce their current wage bill, and moving the forward out of the club will help them financially.
Depay's efforts with the Netherlands national team have been quite impressive. During the qualification stages for the World Cup, the forward was on hand to score a remarkable 12 goals in 10 games. So it is no surprise that he has been picked to represent the Oranje at the biggest tournament in world football.
Louis Van Gaal has confirmed that Memphis Depay will not start for the Netherlands in their first World Cup match against Senegal, as he is still recovering from an injury. https://t.co/2cGyE3X3BC
With his future now uncertain and not with Barcelona, Depay will need to continue impressing for the Netherlands. Impressive performances during the World Cup will likely bring more suitors to the forward's desk as he starts seeking a way out of Camp Nou.
Barcelona are interested in Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan
According to Mundo Deportivo (via Barca Blaugranes), the Blaugrana have their eyes set on Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan and will push for him in January. The midfielder was not their top priority at the Etihad Stadium, as the Camp Nou hierarchy were very focused on snagging Bernardo Silva.
However, signing Silva has proven to be a herculean task, and a move for the Portuguese midfielder in January would not be accepted by the Cityzens. This has seen Barcelona move for Gundogan instead, as the German's contract with Manchester City will expire in the summer of 2023.
The Cityzens could potentially extend the contract, but this is yet to happen, so a potential move for Gundogan in January remains a possibility. The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder also reportedly likes Barca "a lot," which could make the move even easier.