FC Barcelona continues to finalize new players who are recruited for free or without paying because their contracts expire with other clubs. After securing the services of Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia, Barca got Memphis Depay.
"FC Barcelona and Memphis Depay have reached an agreement for the player to join the club after his contract with Olympique Lyonnais expires. The player will sign a contract until the end of the 2022-2023 season," said an official Barcelona statement.
Depay has been wanted by Ronald Koeman at Barcelona since last summer. His arrival will add to the fierce competition on the front lines of Barcelona and add depth to the squad that won the Copa del Rey last season.
Depay's arrival to Barcelona follows the failure of his compatriot Georginio Wijnaldum who chose PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) over Barcelona. Depay wearing the Barcelona shirt was unexpected.
Because the player in the past had failed with Manchester United. But time has passed since then and Depay has grown. Here are the reasons why Barca was right to sign him:
1. Transformation
Depay's age when he joined Man United in 2015 was 21 years old and during the two years there the expectations were too high, as a result, Depay failed to repeat his slick performances like at PSV Eindhoven.
"I think it depends on many things. The right time, time and place, and maturity, he may go there (United) too young. And coaching, right coaching at the right time," said MU legend, Rio Ferdinand.
Numbers don't lie. Depay last season ended the season with 22 goals in 40 games with Lyon (20 in Ligue 1), seven goals less than Kylian Mbappe. From 21 matches with the Dutch national team, Depay also has 13 goals and 14 assists. It has shown its transformation.
2. Versatile
Aguero has filled the center-forward position Barca has needed since Luis Suarez left. The arrival of Depay will complete the competition on the front lines. Koeman can go down with a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 tactic.
Depay is a hybrid striker who can play on the flanks as well as centrally as a second striker. This ability was understood by Koeman when he coached the Dutch national team.
3. Character
Despite his failure at Manchester United and his lifestyle off the field, Depay has developed as a more mature player and is now the spearhead of the Dutch mainstay on the front lines at Euro 2020.
Depay connects with the fans well and knows how to deal with them. That's a good condition for him to play at Barcelona and side by side with a superstar like Lionel Messi.
4. Learn from Failure
His time with Man United was a lesson for Depay in his development process. Now Depay is a different person and the public sees him getting more mature at the age of 27.
Barcelona recruited him wisely and was lucky to get him for free, because Depay could be expensive if bought in the transfer market considering his age and quality.
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