The lion has arrived. The signing of Memphis Depay was imminent, and it’s the final details that were missing before the Dutchman could put pen to paper. Those have now been finalised, thus securing Barça yet another high-class free transfer.
In my eyes, Depay is not suitable for positional play. But since there’s no way we are returning to our roots very shortly, the transfer makes sense. As a short term option, Memphis is certain to improve the team. But his continuity under a different coach could be put in question. In any case, Ronald Koeman finally got the player he asked for since he became the first team coach. Adept at getting out of tight situations with his inventiveness and trickery, he is a terrific option to use in attack. We could see him as a deep-lying striker, winger or attacking midfielder, depending on how the coach’s demands.
Now, it remains to be seen how Koeman intends to set up the attack. I’d say he is more likely to return to a 4-3-3 with Lionel Messi as the false 9. That makes the two spots down the wing stacked. Antoine Griezmann, Ansu Fati and Memphis Depay all prefer the left-hand side, but the preferences of at least one of them will eventually be sacrificed. The right wing looks pretty weak, with Ousmane Dembélé remaining extremely inconsistent and the club’s faith in Francisco Trincão being an open question.
In any case, Memphis Depay is a quality recruitment, albeit not the best suited for us. His dribbling, finishing and artistry are bound to add something extra to our attacking options. Exciting stuff.
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