Man Utd offer Barca €10m for Memphis Depay
FT Desk
- 27 Aug 2022 12:54 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are closing in on a shock deal to bring Memphis Depay back to the club from Barcelona.
The Dutchman struggled in his first spell at Old Trafford between June 2015 and January 2017, scoring just seven goals in 53 games, but he has rebuilt his career since.
A goal-fiend at Lyon, Memphis joined Barcelona last June and concluded the most recent campaign with 13 goals in all competitions.
But with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and then Robert Lewandowski providing stiff competition up front, Memphis has been made available for transfer - not least because Barca need to offload players in order to register more than €160 million worth of new talent.
An unregistered Barcelona signing might make his first start tonight 🔵 🔴https://t.co/GDvZtqsDx6
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 24, 2022
Memphis would have been allowed to leave on a free had personal terms been agreed with Juventus, but the €10m fee now reported by Spanish journalist Gerard Moreno would represent good business for both clubs and the player.
Good for Memphis
Memphis belongs on the stage he previously called home: the Premier League. His style suits the pace and power of the division, and his talent deserves to be seen in the top-ranked division per UEFA coefficient.
He also has a point to prove, and the company of fellow Dutchmen Erik ten Hag and Tyrell Malacia with which to do so. Memphis will push for the move, despite reported interest from United's Europa League Group E rivals Real Sociedad.
Good for United
United will get a player who can operate at the highest level anywhere across the front three. With Cristiano Ronaldo out of favour and Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and others still needing to reprove themselves, Memphis might be asked to plug a number of gaps depending on the form and fitness of others.
Paying €10m this time for a player they once shelled out nearly €30m is also good business, especially as Memphis is now a 28-year-old in his prime with 42 goals in 80 caps with the Netherlands under his belt.
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Good for Barcelona
Lewandowski was just one of five new arrivals at Camp Nou this summer, and seven if you count the re-signings of Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto. Jules Kounde was only registered for official games on Friday despite signing in July.
The Catalan giants are emerging from their €1 billion debt having sold a percentage of future revenues from TV, merchandising and the like, but further balancing the books by offloading fringe players is also good business.
