By Betsefy
Atletico Madrid are reportedly weighing up a January move for Barcelona forward Memphis Depay.
Diego Simeone‘s side are expected to be in the market for at least one new attacker during the winter transfer window, as Matheus Cunha is heading for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There is also speculation surrounding the future of Joao Felix, with the Portugal international seemingly keen to leave Wanda Metropolitano before the end of the January window.
According to Fichajes, Atletico have identified Memphis as a possible acquisition, with the Dutchman’s contract at Camp Nou due to expire at the end of the campaign.
The report, though, claims that a deal for the forward is ‘complicated’, with Barcelona not comfortable letting him move to a La Liga rival at this stage of the season.
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Memphis struggled with injury in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign, which restricted him to just three appearances for Barcelona, scoring once.
The attacker returned to fitness during the 2022 World Cup, though, scoring once in five appearances for the Netherlands at the competition, as Louis van Gaal‘s side reached the quarter-finals.
Manchester United are believed to be interested in re-signing Memphis, and a recent report claimed that the player was preparing to make a decision on his future.
There have been suggestions that Barcelona would be prepared to let the forward leave on a free transfer next month in order to remove his wages from the budget.
However, the Catalan club’s sporting director Jordi Cruyff recently suggested that Memphis could not be allowed to leave the club in the middle of the campaign.
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“In the end, for example, the situation of Memphis, who has been injured this season and has not been able to be present as much as he wanted and what the team wanted,” Cruyff told Mundo Deportivo.
“It is also true that in the games prior to his injury he was playing as a starter and with some pretty nice goals. This thinking every week that you’re as good as the last game doesn’t make sense. In the end we also have to think about (Robert) Lewandowski being suspended three games today.
“The equations are made, not by Memphis but by anyone, that if a Barca player leaves to bring another you can consider it. But if that’s not going to give you the ‘fair play’ either, then why do it? It makes no sense.
“Now, going back to Memphis, saying that he has always had an impeccable attitude at the level of effort and Xavi will be the first to say it. He always says that he is a player who doesn’t cause problems, who always makes an effort to the maximum and when he has had to be there, he has been there and has responded.
“So, today we are not thinking about the exits but about having a competitive team for the second round, with the same line of the first round and Memphis, if he recovers from his injury, and is showing it in the national team, he is a player who can help a lot to any club in which he is.”
Atletico are also believed to be tracking Liverpool‘s Roberto Firmino and Borussia Monchengladbach‘s Marcus Thuram ahead of the January transfer window.
