Memphis Depay has been heavily linked with an exit from Barcelona ahead of the January transfer window. The 28-year-old has fallen out of favour at Camp Nou this season following the summer acquisitions of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Game time has been hard to come by for the Netherlands international, while matters were only made worse by an injury he sustained while on international duty in September. As a result, the forward has been restricted to just three appearances this season for Barça.
It had given way to speculations that the Blaugrana will look to part ways with Depay in January, especially with the club needing to generate revenue and free up space on the wage bill in order to be able to bring in new players.
It was recently reported that Depay was set to meet with manager Xavi Hernandez next week to discuss his future and arrive at a decision ahead of the winter trading period.
But, as per the latest reports from journalist Santi Ovalle, Depay does not want to leave Barcelona in the January transfer window.
The Netherlands international will return to the club’s Ciutat Esportiva training complex next week following a decent run at the FIFA World Cup with the Netherlands, where they made it as far as the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Argentina on penalties.
And while it was expected that Depay could leave once he returns to Camp Nou, it seems like the former Manchester United forward has had a change of heart and could remain at the club beyond the January window.
This move could be a welcome one from the club’s perspective as well, considering that they are not in a position to sign any players in the winter and Depay’s versatility and ability to chip in with goals could come in handy in the latter parts of the season when injuries can occur.
Depay’s contract, though, stands to expire at the end of the season, which means that Barcelona could lose him for nothing in the summer. So, the club find themselves in a tricky situation with regard to the Dutch ace’s future and it will be interesting to see how they deal with it.