Barcelona news roundup: A Lyon striker may join Barca in January, Ansu Fati named Player of the Month, and more - 11th October 2020
With a 'crazy' summer at Barcelona finally drawing to a close, it is now up to the players to deliver on the pitch.
The Catalan side are in action on Saturday night. But Ronald Koeman will have to wait before he starts training sessions for the match as most of the players are still on national duties and will only return to the club later this week.
On that note, here are the top Barcelona news stories of the day:
Memphis Depay hints at a January move to Barcelona
Barcelona had a deal in place to sign Memphis Depay this summer, but the move did not materialise as La Liga blocked the same. That was because as the club had exceeded its wage bill this summer, they could not sign the player from Lyon.
The Dutchman, who is still a target for the Catalan side, has now hinted at a possible move to Barcelona in January. During an interaction with the media, Depay said:
"We will see. Soon it will be January again. We'll have to wait and see how things are. It's not that I'm definitely going, but it's likely there will be clubs in for me soon. I'm 26 and almost free, so you can expect clubs to be interested in me, no?"
Philippe Coutinho says that he is very motivated at Barcelona
Philippe Coutinho's future at Barcelona was in the balance last summer, and he was shipped on loan to Bayern Munich. The German side had an option to sign the player permanently but didn't do so.
Now, with Ronald Koeman giving the Brazilian a fresh lifeline at Camp Nou, Coutinho wants to make the most of it. Talking to the media last week, he said in this regard:
"I have returned to Barcelona wanting to work. I am very motivated and happy. I have started the season on the right foot, playing well, and I am very happy. I intend to push the intensity of my work to the limit to achieve great things this season. I want to achieve great things, and this means winning titles. For this (to happen), I intend to maintain this good moment that I am in, a moment of joy and great confidence."
Ansu Fati named La Liga Player of the Month
Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati has been named the Player of the Month in La Liga. The youngster scored three league goals in as many matches in the month of September to win the award.
The teenager scored twice in the opening match of the season against Villarreal to help his side register a 4-0 win. He followed that up with a goal in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Celta Vigo a few days later.