[인터풋볼] Reporter Dong-Hoon Shin = Can we see the Memphis Depay wearing a Tottenham Hotspur jersey?
Spain’s ‘Mundo Deportivo’ said on the 27th (Korean time), “Depay is the top scorer in Barcelona, but his position under Xavi Hernandez is unclear. With the possibility of a transfer rising, several English Premier League (EPL) clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, are paying attention. If Depay is transferred this summer, Barcelona will pay a significant fee.”
Depay was called ‘Dutch Cristiano Ronaldo’ while playing for PSV Eindhoven. The reason was that his movements and decisiveness closely resembled Ronaldo. In the 2014-15 season, he showed off his brilliance, scoring 22 goals in the Dutch Eredi Visi alone. Based on this, he joined Manchester United. He was given number 7 and seemed to be succeeding in Ronaldo’s lineage, but he experienced a disastrous failure.
He didn’t help at all in Manchester United’s attack and turned around. In the end, Depay fled Manchester United and headed for Lyon. In Lyon, Depay recorded 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 matches, making a spectacular comeback. He continued his fame by establishing himself as a key player in the Dutch national team. Depay, who has fully survived, appeared in the transfer market last summer as a free agent.
Numerous teams have approached Depay for free signings. Depay chose Barcelona. As many strikers such as Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann left, Depay was immediately selected as a starting resource. At the beginning of the season, fellow strikers groaned with injuries and led the Barcelona attack alone. He was responsible for scoring, but suffered an injury towards the end of the first half and was out for a while.
A lot has changed for Barcelona during the absence of Depay. Ronald Koeman was sacked, Xavi came in, Ferran Torres, Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were signed, Luke the Dragon escaped his worst slump, and Usman Dembele did his part. It was at the beginning of the season when Depay was active and the team situation changed dramatically.
If there were no major surprises, it was different from the time when I started unconditionally. As the freshman students played a big role, there were fewer seats for Depay. He has left an impression, such as scoring, but he is not classified as a starting resource. In the winter transfer window, when it became known that Xavi was trying to sell DePay, the transfer rumors are getting hotter. Depay has a contract with Barcelona until June 2023.
A move to Tottenham was strongly discussed. Tottenham are highly dependent on goalscoring Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, so they plan to have a Depay who can play anywhere in the attack and has scoring power. British ‘HITC’ said, “Depay’s ability and versatility can improve the quality of Tottenham’s attacking squad. Under Antonio Conte, Depay will develop further. It will be beneficial to both parties.”
