The Blaugranas have made it official – the Catalan giants have finally completed the signing of Memphis Depay from Ligue 1 club, Lyon, and will become a Barcelona player once his current contract formally expires on June 30.
Although the agreement was already revealed last week, the official announcement was not expected until after the conclusion of the ongoing European Championship.
Barcelona have finally succeeded in their third attempt to sign Depay since two earlier thwarted attempts last year. In yet another smart free transfer move by the badly cash-strapped team, the 27-year-old is finally heading to the Camp Nou. The club did not want to meet Lyon’s asking price both attempts last summer nor in the winter, and their game of waiting it out has now paid off with the player able to make the move for free on his Bosman status.
Memphis himself spoke about the transfer last week, saying that he wanted to play for his fellow Dutchman, head coach Ronald Koeman. The pair worked together in the past, when Koeman was in charge of the Dutch national team prior to his Barcelona appointment. The former Barca defender has now sealed the deal for Memphis to stay at the Camp Nou until 2023. This is already Barcelona’s fourth signing this summer, an impressive feat for a club that has limited resources, to put it mildly.
The Blaugrana confirmed the transfer via a statement posted on their website and social media accounts:
“Memphis will be a strong addition to Barcelona’s attack. Last season, he scored 21 goals and 13 assists for Lyon. Sergio Aguero was also brought in this summer, making Barcelona’s forward line even more formidable in addition to their existing players.”
Meanwhile the anticipation shrouding Messi’s contract continues to build, with only less than ten days left on his current contract. The talismanic captain is all the way on the other side of the world fronting for Argentina in the Copa America in Brazil.
While it is optimistically believed at Camp Nou that Messi is inclined to stay, Laporta confirmed that nothing has been decided as yet. Fans are starting to grow more anxious by the day, especially now that the expiration date is getting really way too close for comfort.