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– Memphis Depay has spoken about his future after Chelsea were linked with a move for him, amid Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang preparing to join the Blues.
– Chelsea agreed a deal with Barcelona for Aubameyang earlier on Thursday. As per The Athletic reporter David Ornstein, it is worth £6.5million. Marcos Alonso will move to Barcelona as part of the deal, too.
– Aubameyang has since travelled to London to take part in a medical. Should this go through without any hitches, then Chelsea will be able to announce the former Arsenal skipper as a last-minute signing.
Also Read: Barca terminate Martin Braithwaite’s contract by mutual agreement
– However, he isn’t the only star who could swap Barca for Chelsea. According to the Daily Mail, Blues chiefs are ‘exploring’ the possibility of landing Depay too.
– Of course, Depay had an underwhelming spell at Manchester United between July 2015 and January 2017. In 53 games for the Red Devils, just seven goals came his way.
– The Dutchman enjoyed a successful time at Lyon after leaving United, which got his career back on track. And he joined Barca on a free transfer last summer, following the expiry of his Lyon contract.
– Barca no longer need him in their squad due to the arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich earlier this summer. And Chelsea have now been tipped to add him to their ranks.
– The Daily Mail claim Chelsea are at the front of the queue to land him. And he wouldn’t cost a transfer fee, as Barca have agreed to terminate his contract a year early if he can find a new team.
– Fabrizio Romano then came in with a contrasting update, stating there was no chance Depay would end up at Stamford Bridge.
Memphis Depay update 🚨🇳🇱 #FCB
▫️ No advanced talks with Chelsea, as of now – focus on Auba;
▫️ Memphis closer to staying than leaving but it’s still a long day;
▫️ Termination of contract ready but only in case Depay will agree with another club, otherwise it won’t happen. pic.twitter.com/TAjV4bXWiU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2022
– And the 28-year-old has now broken his silence on his future. He said (via Romano): “I have decided to stay at Barca! I’m fully committed to contributing to the club’s sporting success.”
I have decided to stay at Barça !
Fully committed to contribute to the club's sporting success. 💙❤️ #ViscaBarca
— Memphis Depay (@Memphis) September 1, 2022
– It seems Depay will fulfil his Barca contract and act as backup for Lewandowski this season. But it is unlikely he will feature in many big games, which sets up the possibility for a Barca exit next summer.
