Barcelona fear that Memphis will sit tight to leave club for free

Barcelona have already assumed that there will be no signings during the January transfer window. The same team that reached the World Cup break as LaLiga leaders will continue during the decisive stretch of the season -- with the exception of Gerard Piqué, who has hung up his boots halfway through the campaign. The Catalan defender could be joined by one more casualty: Memphis Depay.

The Dutch forward stood his ground in the summer and refused to negotiate an exit from Camp Nou. Despite being aware that he was going to be the sixth forward in the squad, he accepted the challenge. He didn't debut until the fifth game of the year. An injury with the Netherlands during a national team break then further limited his appearances (he is the player with the fewest minutes in the squad: 131).

It's different with his country. He was called up by Louis van Gaal for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and his presence in the team increased as the tournament progressed, although he failed to stand out. At Barça, they expected him to do well in the tournament which would generate interest.

Barça have tried to place him in the Premier League, with Newcastle in pole position. He arrived for free in the summer of 2021 but does not, for the moment, have any thoughts of ending his contract early. The objective is clear: to sign as a free agent with another club to maintain or even surpass the salary that he currently receives in Barcelona.

In the near future, representatives of the English club will try to convince the player, who has been quite opposed to leaving this winter. The option of Newcastle, however, could convince Memphis, as it is a club with economic muscle and which intends to disrupt the big teams in the Premier League.