Reports suggest Memphis Depay could move to Atlético Madrid to replace João Félix
Cadena SER claim that the forward will move to the capital to replace the outgoing player.
How to solve a problem like João? Well, with Memphis, apparently. Replacing an enigmatic forward/midfielder with an enigmatic forward/midfielder - what could possibly go wrong?
So, according to Manu Carreño of Cadena SER, the Barcelona misfit Memphis Depay is the number one replacement for the outgoing João Félix, who is on his way to Chelsea. The Portuguese midfielder will sign on loan for the rest of the season where he will look to regain his form under Graham Potter, providing he is still the manager when Félix’s plane lands.
A struggling player in a confusing Barcelona
And Memphis will then land in Madrid. The forward has struggled to find his place in a Barcelona side that seems to be going in a certain direction, despite the fact it sometimes feels as though there is a strong wind blowing them another way, with Xavi promising us that he and his team have the right map in front of them. Added to that the difficulties with the financial state of the club, and you’ve got a melting pot of uncertainty.
He signed for the blaugrana in 2021 after doing nothing at Manchester United before scoring a bunch of goals for Lyon. Since then, the forward has been played out wide, behind the striker, as a striker and wide on the other side, never quite getting into the same groove that he found in France, featuring only 30 times in 2 years and scoring 13 goals. Almost a goal every 2 games is good levels of scoring, if you of course don’t take into account the monsters that are Messi, Ronaldo and now Haaland and Mbappé.
Memphis goes from replacing Messi to João
But it has always felt that Memphis and Barça just didn’t click, even despite the player’s confidence when it came to being one of Messi substitutes in the side after the Argentinian left for PSG. And, curiously enough, the same goes for João at Atlético. The talent is there, and the record behind him, but not the psychological concrete that makes all parts of a move stick together.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, according to Carreño’s information, would arrive at Atlético on loan until the end of the season, where he would then return to Barcelona and look for a more permanent move as a free agent. This makes sense, given the likelihood of the Madrid club wanting to stick with Félix after his loan spell in England.
