12th November, 2022
Memphis Depay has told Barcelona he wants to leave the Spanish giants on a free transfer after the World Cup.
Depay, 28, has featured only twice in LaLiga this term, seemingly falling out of favour with his current boss Xavi while also struggling with a thigh issue.
Despite his lack of gametime, the forward heads to Qatar as the chief goal threat in Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands squad and The Express report that he is far from happy with his situation in Catalonia.
Spanish outlets claim that Depay — who was the joint-top scorer in European World Cup qualifying with 12 strikes — could soon be set for a Premier League return with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham interested.
Having netted just seven goals in 53 appearances during an ill-fated Old Trafford stint between 2015 and 2017, Red Devils supporters are unlikely to be enamoured with the prospect of the Dutchman returning.
However, he went on to enjoy a prolific spell with Ligue 1 Lyon after leaving United and Erik ten Hag is open-minded on giving his countryman a second chance to shine in Manchester.
For Chelsea, finding the net has been a struggle this term with Raheem Sterling topping their Premier League scoring charts on five goals.
Depay would provide further depth in Graham Potter’s forward ranks and has proven to be prolific at the highest level, boasting 42 goals in 81 international caps for the Oranje.
Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has constantly bemoaned his lack of squad depth this term and a cheap move for someone of Depay’s pedigree would make plenty of sense.
Though the PSV youth graduate is not technically out of contract until next summer, he does not expect Barca to make his exit difficult in January after what he has deemed harsh treatment in recent mon
Should he go on to star at the World Cup, however, it seems unlikely that Barca would not demand a fee from potential suitors.