According to Mundo Deportivo, Turkish giants Galatasaray have contacted the agents of Barcelona forward Memphis Depay and tabled a proposal to sign him in January. However, the 28-year-old is not considering the offer as he aims to continue at Camp Nou beyond the winter window.
Depay’s future has become a subject of much debate in recent weeks. The Netherlands ace has struggled for prominence in Xavi Hernandez’s plans this season due to competition for places and fitness problems, which have limited him to just three appearances so far.
At one point, it looked certain that Depay would be headed out of the exit doors at Barça when the January transfer window opens, especially with the club keen on freeing up wages in their bid to achieve Fair Play.
However, recent reports suggest that the Dutchman’s exit alone would not help the club much with regard to their FFP issues. On top of that, Robert Lewandowski’s three-match ban leaves Barcelona exposed for those games as there is no natural backup for him at the club.
As a result, the Blaugrana are more open to keeping Depay at the club beyond the January transfer window. And, as per the report, the forward himself wants to remain at the club until the end of the season, when his contract expires.
The 28-year-old will return to Barcelona next week following his excursions at the World Cup, at which point he will speak to manager Xavi and discuss about his future and his role in the side.
Galatasaray, meanwhile, continue to push for Depay’s signing with the club vice-president Erden Timur contacting the forward’s agents to table their proposal. However, as things stand, he has no interest in joining the Turkish giants and is not entertaining their offer.
There were reports of interest from AS Roma as well, but those too have gone quiet of late. So, there is a good chance that Depay might remain a Barcelona player beyond the winter window.