Depay ‘demands free transfer in January’ alerting Man Utd and Spurs

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Memphis Depay will demand a free transfer from Barcelona in January which could alert Manchester United and Tottenham, according to reports in the Spanish press. Depay has struggled for game time with Barca this season and was linked with a summer move to the Premier League.

That switch did not materialise, though, and he has remained with the cash-strapped La Liga outfit. The Dutchman has played in just two Spanish top-flight matches this season. 

Depay signed for Barcelona on a free after leaving Lyon in the summer of 2021. He initially started well under countryman and then-head coach Ronald Koeman, but has not played such a key role under Xavi Hernandez. 

The subsequent arrivals of fellow attackers Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski have pushed the 28-year-old down the pecking order at Camp Nou. Depay will reportedly demand to leave on a free transfer in the winter window, allowing him to join another club without a transfer fee being paid to Barcelona. 

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That is according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, who claim that Depay has no intention of extending his contract, which expires at the end of the season. He wants to leave as a free agent in January so that Barcelona do not profit from selling the attacker. 

The Netherlands international apparently believes that it was the Spanish giants who benefited from signing him for nothing a year and-a-half ago. Now he wants to be the one who benefits from a seamless exit. 

Depay’s demand to leave will put several clubs around Europe on alert. Former club Man Utd were interested in a deal to take their ex-player back to Old Trafford, where Depay struggled in a two-year spell at the start of his career. 

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The then-21-year-old was signed by Louis van Gaal at the start of his ill-fated reign with the Red Devils. Depay subsequently failed to impress Van Gaal’s successor, Jose Mourinho. 

United sold Depay to Lyon in January 2017 and he flourished in Ligue 1, eventually earning a move to Barcelona four years later. 

Tottenham and Chelsea were also linked with Depay in the summer. Neither managed to complete a deal, but could rekindle their interest in January. 

Chelsea have struggled for goals of late, with summer buys Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling not yet fitting in at Stamford Bridge. A pursuit of Depay, who struck 13 goals in all competitions last season, might be tempting if the Blues continue to flounder in front of goal. 

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