Newcastle United are reportedly in pole position to sign Memphis Depay from Barcelona.
That is according to Spanish outlet Sport, who believe that the Magpies are best placed to whisk the forward away from the Nou Camp in the final year of his contract.
Depay is set to become a free agent in the summer, having only signed a two-year deal with the Catalan club in 2021. That means the January transfer window is Barcelona’s last chance to get some money for him, and they appear to be very keen to sell.
The 28-year-old has barely featured this season for Xavi’s side. He has made just three appearances in all competitions, with a thigh injury forcing him to miss a lot of football. It also hindered his World Cup, with Depay starting Netherlands’ first two games on the bench.
With the World Cup over, Depay’s attention will turn back to club duties, and he could soon have a new place to call home in 2023.
Newcastle in pole position to sign Depay
According to Sport, Barcelona are looking to get rid of Depay in January. They reportedly want to send him to a Premier League club, with Newcastle the best placed side to secure his signature.
However, a January move to St James’ Park might not suit Depay. Sport’s report adds that he wants to see out his contract and become a free agent in the summer. That way he will be able to get more money from whoever signs him, as they won’t have had to pay a transfer fee.
It is all starting to sound rather strange with regards to a move to Newcastle, and it would be a huge surprise if reports in Spain turned out to be true and Depay did become a Magpie next month.
This story doesn’t add up
There is no denying Depay’s ability. He has really improved since his stint at Manchester United, where he was branded as a flop.
But he rebuilt his reputation at Lyon, and secured a major move to Barcelona in 2021. Cesc Fabregas is certainly a fan of the Dutchman, praising him for his ‘leadership skills‘ in an interview last year.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder also complimented Depay on his creative ability, telling Sport last year: “He has good passes, he’s creative and that’s good, because football today is very organized. Memphis has that magic to create different things.”
All those qualities would make him a good addition to Eddie Howe’s squad, but the Toon boss seemingly had the chance to sign Depay during the summer and turned it down.
According to 90min, Newcastle were offered the chance to sign Depay, but Howe was unsure how he would fit into his tactical system at St James’ Park.
Fast forward a few months and the tactics haven’t changed, so why would Howe’s stance over signing Depay have changed?
There are plenty of reports about ‘Depay to Newcastle‘ flying around the Spanish press. Mundo Deportivo have claimed this week that the Magpies have made a £17.5million bid.
That seems excessive given that he is available for nothing in the summer, while it doesn’t align with other Spanish reports claiming that he is available for less.
With so many contradictory stories surrounding Depay and Newcastle, it is hard to believe any of them. Sport might believe that the Magpies are in pole position, but it is highly likely that we aren’t even in the race to sign Depay.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
