PSG join Serie A giants in race for Barcelona superstar: Reports
French giants Paris Saint Germain has joined the race to sign Barcelona forward Memphis Depay next summer. Juventus and AS Roma have also been linked with a move for the Manchester United forward.
Depay joined Barcelona on a free transfer in July 2021 after running down his contract at Lyon. The transfer was surrounded with a lot of fanfare, primarily due to his reunion with his former national team coach, Ronald Koeman.
Koeman was credited with reinvigorating the Dutch national team after taking over from Danny Blind. The experienced coach maximized output from the likes of Ryan Babel and Depay while representing the Netherlands.
Depay has made a bright start to life at Barcelona. He is one of the more important forwards in the squad. Koeman's departure, however, could have dented Depay's mood at the club.
Memphis Depay & Aguero: you said we’ll get to play with the GOAT when we sign for Barcelona yet Messi is joining PSG
Joan Laporta: I meant Griezman, Ousmane, Ansu & Ter (GOAT) https://t.co/HO624jNYTV
Why Barcelona could be open to selling Depay
Xavi and re-elected Barcelona president Joan Laporte are also reportedly looking for a different kind of striker to head the attack at Nou Camp. They recently tried to sign Ferran Torres in a cash-plus-player deal which was turned down by Manchester City.
Laporta assumed leadership after the Catalans had regressed under Sandro Russell and Josep Maria Bartomeu in the latter part of the last decade. Despite losing Lionel Messi in the summer, Laporta is keen to restore Barcelona back to its former glory.
Laporta is a huge fan of Barcelona great Johan Cruyff. He made the Dutchman Barcelona's honorary life president before the title was crudely taken away when Russell took power.
Laporta is also a staunch disciple of Cruyff's total football. It's a style he wants to re-implement at Barcelona. It should be remembered that the last team Laporta built, won the sextuple in 2010. The feat was only replicated 10 years later by Hansi Flick's Bayern Munich.
The leadership in Barcelona is therefore willing to let Depay leave for the right offer, as they have deemed him unfit for the Cryuff philosophy of football.
Depay is Barcelona's top scorer this season with eight goals and two assists. The Dutchman is still considered a huge talent and has improved his application from his Manchester United days.
When not constrained by tactical shackles, the Holland striker can be a real asset on the pitch. 63 goals in 139 appearances for Lyon and eight goals in 14 matches while at Barcelona, show that Depay operates best without too many tactical inputs. It's a far cry from the two he scored in 33 outings for Manchester United, where his game was stiffled by Van Gaal and Mourinho's rigid methods.
Perhaps too much has been expected of him in a Barcelona side that is devoid of leadership. In recent games, Depay has been flanked by Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, Yusuf Demiral, and Abde Ezzalzouli all who are 19 or below. Barcelona attempted to replace the iconic Lionel Messi with Depay and most players, if not all, will fall short of that expectation.
Why PSG would be a better fit for Depay
Boasting the likes of Messi, Neymar and Julian Draxler, PSG could prove to be a better fit for Depay. The Oranje forward could replace Kylian Mbappe, who is rumored to have grown disillusioned with his role in Paris. The French forward is reportedly keen to join Real Madrid next summer.
The 22-year-old became the most expensive teenager after PSG forked out £166.4m ($221.5m) to sign him from AS Monaco. However, PSG could be set to lose him for free next summer since Mbappe is in the final year of his contract in Paris.
Memphis Depay will walk straight into PSG's starting xi and bench that fraud called Messi https://t.co/4mj1ML3ebZ
Should Mbappe leave Paris, Depay would be the ideal replacement. Like Mbappe, the Oranje striker can play multiple attacking positions. He also knows Ligue 1 pretty well, having been at Lyon from 2017 to 2021.
Why Juventus and AS Roma might not be able to sign Memphis Depay
Depay's £230,000 ($172,790)-a-week salary will also not be a problem for PSG but could be a stumbling block to Juventus. The highest earner in Turin is Matthijs de Ligt, who earns £240,000 ($319,460) per week .The highest paid player at AS Roma, Lorenzo Pellegrini, takes home £122,000 ($162,390) in weekly wages. Hence, it leaves PSG as the front-runners should Barcelona decide to sell Depay.