SOCCER
Which attacking players will Barcelona sign in January?
Memphis Depay will complete a move to Atlético Madrid on Thursday; Yannick Carrasco and Gonçalo Guedes have been targeted by Barcelona.
Memphis Depay will complete a move from Barcelona to Atlético Madrid later on Thursday. As previously reported by AS, the clubs have agreed a fee of just €2.5 million for the 28-year-old Dutch international, whose last league appearance for the Catalans came all the way back in September. Depay was seen leaving Barcelona for the Spanish capital early on Thursday morning and will sign for Los Colchoneros provided he passes a medical.
Who will Barcelona sign as Memphis Depay’s replacement?
The next question is: who will Barcelona sign as his replacement? AS learned that Barça initially tried to instigate a swap deal with Atleti between Depay and Yannick Carrasco, which was immediately rejected. However, it has been reported on Spanish radio station Cadena SER that the two clubs have reached an agreement that gives La Blaugrana first option to sign Carrasco for just under €20 million this coming summer should the Madrid side be prepared to sell then.
However, with Barcelona gunning for LaLiga and hoping to win the Copa del Rey and the Europa League, boss Xavi Hernández doesn’t want to be a man down and is looking for a replacement for Depay now, despite the fact that the Dutchman had featured in just four matches all season.
Which attacking player could Barcelona sign in the winter transfer window?
With Carrasco seemingly out of the equation for the time being and a return to Camp Nou for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ruled out because the Chelsea forward has already been registered by two clubs this season, Xavi has now switched his attention to Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Gonçalo Guedes.
The Portuguese only joined the Premier League club from Valencia in August but, as reported by AS, has already held talks with Xavi over a potential switch, which, with the Catalans very much keeping Financial Fair Play in mind, would initially be a loan move with an option to buy in the summer. No deal has as yet been reached with Wolves but the fact that agent Jorge Mendes, who representes Guedes, has such close ties with the English club and Barça president Joan Laporte means Barcelona are confident a deal can be done.