Depay, who will remain at Lyon for the foreseeable future as he evaluates his future, has shared details of the saga after appearing for his national side in their 1-0 defeat to Mexico in Amsterdam.
The agreement between Barcelona and Depay was very close
Memphis Depay has revealed how close he came to joining Barcelona in the summer – and that he is still chasing his dream. Depay, who will remain at Lyon for the foreseeable future as he evaluates his future. He has shared details of the saga after appearing for his national side in their 1-0 defeat to Mexico in Amsterdam. “The agreement was very close,” Depay told reporters. “I don’t want to reveal all the details, but it was almost done. And then, unfortunately, some things got in the way. “That’s life, and what happened, happened. Now I have to focus on Lyon again, be important to them, and then see what happens down the line. No one can predict the future. If I continue to perform the way I can, then clubs will continue to be interested in me. And at this point, perhaps everything will happen again.”
Memphis Depay’s deal with Lyon expires next summer
That last comment almost certainly stems from the forward’s desire to join Barcelona in the end, with the January transfer window being his next available opportunity. Ronald Koeman admitted last Monday that he was trying to bring his compatriot to the Camp Nou as part of his new project and hoped the negotiations would be successful, especially since Lyon had cut the price they demanded for the 26-year-old. Depay’s contract with Lyon expires next summer, which prompted the French club – knowing that their star man wants to leave – tried to at least bring a fee instead of losing it for free, as is likely to happen now. Moving to Barcelona would be Depay’s second big transfer. After growing up in the PSV academy, Memphis joined Manchester United in 2015 but has rarely shown what he’s capable of.
A year and a half later, he joined Lyon at Old Trafford and played a crucial role in their run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season.