The coach hailed the Lyon forward and broke the merit that would have made his signing a useful addition to the Blaugrana’s squad.
Barcelona need Memphis Depay
Ronald Koeman has stressed that Barcelona is interested in signing Memphis Depay, who is also ready to join forces with his compatriot. The coach hailed the Lyon forward and broke the merit that would have made his signing a useful addition to the Blaugrana’s squad. “We want Depay to come to Barcelona, and so does he,” Koeman said in an interview. “He’s a great player. He can play as a forward, but he’s also a great left-winger. He has the strength, and he holds the ball well, wins his fights, and is very effective.” Koeman also admitted that part of his interest in signing Depay stems from the connection he had with the striker during his spell as the Dutch national team coach. “When you worked well with a player, you have clicked him, and you think it might work here too,” added Koeman.
However, he made it clear that signing Depay is not an easy task and explained the reasons. “It is due to the financial situation of Barcelona,” said Koeman. “Especially because of the control of the Spanish Football Federation. One player has to leave before another can come.” The current transfer window is coming to an end on Monday night in both Spain and France. According to various Dutch reports, Barcelona may agree with Lyon to sign Depay for €30 million-plus two in potential add-ons. Meanwhile, Lyon’s sporting director Juninho admitted that the Dutch international could leave the Ligue 1 club on the transfer deadline. “He has 12 months left for the contract,” Juninho told reporters. “He has a contract agreed with Barcelona, we are not hiding from that. Memphis may go to Barcelona on Monday, but that’s not certain. He’s the most likely player to leave.”