FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has reportedly asked Dutch forward Memphis Depay to look for another club this summer.
Depay moved from Lyon to Barcelona on a free transfer last season. He still has a year left on his contract and the financially struggling Catalans want to cash in on the Netherlands forward. Barcelona would also get rid of his salary from their wage bill. The Camp Nou side have labeled Depay with an asking price of around $20 million, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported.
During Barcelona’s ongoing pre-season tour in the US, Xavi explained to Depay that he was not in the club’s plans for the upcoming season with the arrival of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, another Spanish outlet, Diario AS reported.
One of the clubs interested in Depay is Juventus. The Serie A sid wanted to sign Depay on a free transfer when the player’s contract expired at Lyon last summer, the Mundo Deportivo report further claimed. However, the Dutch forward instead chose to join Barcelona.
Depay started his life at Barcelona on a high, assisting a goal and scoring two in his opening three league games last season. In his first 14 La Liga games, Depay had netted eight goals and set up two more. However, towards the end of 2021, Depay’s injury problems began that ruined his remaining season. First, the 28-year-old forward picked up a hamstring injury before suffering from an Achilles tendon issue.
Memphis Depay celebrates after scoring Barcelona’s equaliser against Athletic Bilbao
Photo: AFP / ANDER GILLENEA
Overall, Depay ended up missing 15 matches across competitions for Barcelona in the 2021-22 season and as a result, he fell down in Xavi’s pecking order. He managed just 13 goals and two assists in 38 competitive appearances in his maiden season in the Barcelona shirt.
Barcelona did not win a title last season, which was also the club’s first campaign without Lionel Messi. The Catalans failed to renew Messi’s contract due to their financial crisis and as a result, they lost their best player to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for free.
However, it was recently reported that Xavi wants Barcelona to re-sign Messi when his contract at PSG expires next summer.
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