Memphis Depay joined Barcelona on a free transfer last summer after the termination of his contract with Lyon.
The move didn’t work out as he had imagined, after a solid start to his stint with the Blaugrana, the 27-year-old was alarmingly out of sync.
According to a report by El Nacional, Memphis Depay has started discussions with Atletico Madrid about a possible move in the summer transfer window. Barcelona will demand €30m to part with the Netherlands international, with Xavi Hernandez agreeing to a deal to sell him.
The Dutch striker has scored eight goals and assisted two in 22 games in all competitions so far this season.
But the player’s inability to score one goal in six matches in the Champions League, contributed to the expulsion of Barcelona from the first club competition in Europe.
Things went from bad to worse for Depay, as Xavi Hernandez was not convinced by his performance.
Barcelona could thus penalize Depay’s sale in the summer, and with the player signing only a two-year contract with the club upon his arrival, this year’s second transfer window could be Blaugrana’s last chance to recoup a beneficial sum from his sale, with the €30m fee likely to be The demand for Barcelona, and Depay’s next destination may be Atletico Madrid.
The La Liga title holders have a recent history of running business with Barcelona, having acquired the services of Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann in the past two years.
But Suarez is likely to leave Atletico Madrid in the summer, prompting Los Rojiblancos to enter the market for a striker.
With Angel Correa thriving this season and Mateus Konia a long-term solution as a striker, Atletico Madrid could sign a versatile striker rather than bring in a similar replacement for Suarez. Depay is thus a viable target for the management of Atletico Madrid, who have begun discussions about a possible summer move.
Depay himself is keen to join Atletico Madrid in the summer after being dismayed by Barcelona’s position on a potential sale.
His €30m price tag is unlikely to set back Atletico Madrid, and the summer move could materialize if talks progress smoothly.