Juventus have contacted Lyon to discuss the acquisition of Memphis Depay, a player they already pursued during the summer, Turin-based newspapers La Stampa and Tuttosport reported today. The 26-year-old striker has an expiring contract and could leave for a cheap fee in January and, while he has long been linked to Barcelona, the Bianconeri have recently joined the race and are willing to include Federico Bernardeschi in the deal.
Depay has notched eight goals and four assists in 17 appearances in Ligue 1 this year and would complete the attack with another versatile piece. Bernardeschi instead has featured for just 393 minutes so far and his agent Mino Raiola is looking for a new team where he could play more. The outlets add that the two clubs have an excellent relationship that was further cemented by the loan of Mattia De Sciglio on October’s deadline day.
Our view
Depay has a different skill-set than the other strikers on the Old Lady’s radar and would arguably be overqualified for the job, but Juventus love a bargain and would naturally pull the trigger if the purchase came at a discounted price. A swap with Bernardeschi, and some bloated evaluations, could help both sides and their balance sheets, but the Italian winger reportedly refused this destination in the past. Moreover, it has been often been considered a fait accompli that Depay will end up at Barcelona at some point to reunite with his former national team coach Ronald Koeman.