June 19, (THEWILL)- After months of speculation, La Liga side Barcelona have the signing of Dutch forward Memphis Depay in the bag. Depay was one of the four signings targeted by La Blaugrana and the first after they lost the race for Georginio Wijnaldum to French giants Paris Saint-Germain. The other two Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero have already signed.
Depay arrives on a free transfer from Lyon, moving in the opposite direction from Wijnaldum. In the Ligue 1 side, Depay scored 76 goals in 178 appearances after his 2016 move to France from the English Premier League side Manchester United. His overall contribution to Lyon in the 2020/2021 earned him an inclusion into the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.
With his contract having run down at the term of the past season, he was allowed the freedom to make his next move all on his own and he has now decided not only to pitch his tent in Camp Nou but also link up with Ronald Koeman, his former Dutch national team.
The two-year contract signed by the 27-year-old Dutchman will see him join the other two players Barca also signed via free transfers: summer arrivals Aguero and Garcia from Manchester City. Depay is the fourth signing, coming in after Brazilian full-back Emerson Royal signed on Wednesday, June 2, as reported by THEWILL.
These transfers are in tune with the club’s cost-cutting process after years of financial indiscipline. Over time, a careless spending culture led to an astronomical amount of debt that the new management team, led by returning President Joan Laporta, is attempting to rectify with some creative transfer market business.
They have so far kept spending low with free transfers and smart deals which strengthen the squad in some areas while negotiating pay cuts across board. The team hopes to keep Lionel Messi and continue being smart about finances until they can raise funds and get some high earners off their books.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
