Juventus tried to hijack Barcelona’s pursuit of Memphis Depay but will most likely come up short. The Dutch forward has reportedly accepted the Blaugrana’s offer. The club and the lawyers are working on the final details of his deal. The official announcement could be a matter of days, if not hours, Spanish newspaper Sport indicates.
The player commented from the Netherlands camp: “Everybody knows I am in talks with Barcelona, and I think there will be soon some definitive news on that front soon. We just have to wait.” Depay is set to ink a two-year deal with an optional third season, earning €5M per season, Calciomercato.com informs. He will leave Olympique Lyonnais after five seasons, where he bagged 63 goals.
Juventus had swooped in late proposing a richer deal. However, Depay appreciates the Blaugrana‘s french connection and wants to reunite with coach Ronald Koeman. Still, the Bianconeri have taken the first step in building their future attack Tuesday. They announced that Alvaro Morata would stay in Turin for the 2021/2022 season, picking up the €10M option to extend the loan for another year. They will have a €35M clause to acquire him permanently next summer after spending €20M for the two temporary stints.
The Old Lady tried to strike a bargain with Depay but is currently focusing more on signing a midfielder. Their offensive plans are up in the air as they will hinge on the future of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. Juventus are highly interested in Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and could purchase him regardless of other situations, La Gazzetta dello Sport indicates.