Newcastle United might nicely have been handed the perfect alternative to strengthen their ahead ranks on a budget in the New Year, with studies in Spain having claimed that the Magpies have been provided the possibility to signal Barcelona’s Memphis Depay on a cut-price deal next month.
The suggestion is that the 28-year-old might nicely be accessible for as little as €10m (£9m) in the January window, with the La Liga giants trying to money in with simply six months remaining on the playmaker’s present contract at Camp Nou.
The Netherlands worldwide has largely been on the periphery in Catalonia since his transfer from Lyon again in the summer time of 2021, though the 86-cap gem nonetheless boasts a good haul of 14 objectives in simply 41 video games for the membership so far.
Simply a “joy to watch” when in his pomp – in the phrases of former Holland boss Ronald Koeman – the fleet-footed ahead was notably spectacular throughout his time in France, having scored 76 objectives and offered 55 assists in 178 video games in all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit.
Although the £172k-per-week man’s earlier spell in the Premier League proved in the end forgettable – as he scored simply seven occasions in 53 video games for Manchester United – the skilled asset has usually thrived on the elite degree over time, notably scoring in the win over the USA on the World Cup in Qatar in latest occasions.
Were Newcastle boss Eddie Howe to carry Depay to St James’ Park, the deal wouldn’t solely assist to bolster his firepower, but additionally evoke recollections of one other Dutchman to have arrived in the northeast from Barcelona in the type of Patrick Kluivert.
The now-retired striker was snapped up by Sir Bobby Robson again in the summer time of 2004, with the previous Ajax youth product having made the transfer to England on a free switch after coming in direction of the tip of his contract with La Blaugrana.
Although the marksman’s spell on the membership would in the end show moderately transient – as he returned to the Spanish prime flight to affix Valencia only a 12 months later – he definitely made his mark with the Magpies, having been lauded as a “special player” by ex-teammate Jermaine Jenas solely just lately.
Even if the deal might not have panned out fairly as meant, because the swift nature of his exit can illustrate, Kluivert was nonetheless capable of showcase his undoubted class in assault amid harm woes, having recorded a good tally of 13 objectives in 37 video games in all competitions throughout that 2004/05 marketing campaign.
The hope could be that the addition of Depay might show much more fruitful had been he to affix in 2023, with the case of his compatriot having illustrated that having the ability to signal such a high-profile determine for a discount value is just too good a possibility to show down.
With the previous Red Devils man boasting a haul of 147 objectives in his membership profession up to now at senior degree, the probabilities are he might show to be an actual coup for Howe and co.
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