Memphis Depay Agrees To Join Atletico Madrid From FC Barcelona

Memphis Depay has agreed to join Atletico Madrid from FC Barcelona.

The Netherlands international is currently frozen out of Xavi Hernandez’s first XI, overlooked in favor of other widemen and strikers such as Robert Lewandowski plus, to a lesser extent, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres on the left flank.

On Monday, less than 24 hours after Barca beat Atleti 1-0 at the Metropolitano to go three points clear in La Liga, Depay’s name started to be linked to Diego Simeone’s Rojiblancos.

This was due to the impending temporary departure of Joao Felix, who has joined Chelsea until the end of the season on a loan deal worth a reported €11mn ($11.8mn).

Transfer market guru Fabrizio Romano and Cadena SER’s Manu Carreno were among the first parties to report that Atleti had contacted Barca about Depay’s potential arrival.

On Thursday morning, SPORT claims that Depay has given his ‘OK’ to the move with both clubs aware that the 28-year-old is prepared to switch allegiances.

Rather than being a loan deal like Felix’s, however, it has been said that Depay could leave permanently on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Furthermore, Depay also has another offer on the table from Newcastle United in the PremierPINC
League. According to reports, though, Simeone’s project in the Spanish capital appeals to him most.

Offloading Depay for cash would be viewed as a success by president Joan Laporta and his board considering they paid nothing for the Dutchman when acquiring his services as a free agent in the summer of 2021.

Depay became an instant starter in the Blaugrana first XI on the watch of his compatriot Ronald Koeman and continued to enjoy protagonism when the legendary midfielder was replaced by Xavi Hernandez in November.

Ahead of 2022/2023, however, the arrival of the likes of Lewandowski and a return to fitness for Fati has seen Depay drop down the pecking order.

Despite an impressive campaign for the Netherlands at Qatar 2022, Depay has been unable to feature in Xavi’s plans save for a start in the Copa del Rey against Intercity in early January.