Everything that Memphis can offer Ronald Koeman
The Dutch coach can benefit from Depay's versatility, who is capable of playing through the middle or out wide
Ronald Koeman requested various players after joining as Barcelona manager, but only one of them was written in capital letters and highlighted in yellow: Memphis Depay. The Dutch coach asked the club to sign Memphis from Olympique de Lyon. Barça reached an agreement with the French club in the summer of 2020, offering five million up front plus another ten in variables. The player had also agreed to join. However, LaLiga blocked the move because Barça had already exceeded its wage cap. Instead, the Catalan club has needed to wait almost a whole year to get the signing over the line.
Koeman's stubbornness proved decisive once more. The coach stayed in regular contact with Memphis throughout last season, promising him that Barça would follow through with their interest this summer. Memphis was also committed to joining, and he finally made his much-awaited debut in Saturday's pre-season friendly against Girona, showing flashes of why Koeman was so keen to get him through the door. During last year's negotiations for the player, which eventually fell through, Koeman described him as "an excellent player [who can] play as a striker or off the left wing. He is strong, he holds the ball up well, he wins his battles and performs well".
Depay's areas of influence
It remains to be seen which position Depay will occupy in Barça's line up. He played as a striker against Girona, moving slightly into the left channel but with absolute freedom of movement. This was shown as soon as he stepped foot on the pitch at the end of the first half, when he caught out his defender with a clever cut-back on the right flank. Following the interval, he demonstrated excellent ball control, an ability to lose his marker, dribbles, vision and directness, always looking for the shortest route to goal. In a 4-3-3, Memphis would usually play through the middle or cutting in from the left, operating closer to the opposition's box than the touchline. His versatility offers Koeman more attacking resources than he had last season. When playing alongside Kun Agüero, he would almost certainly start on the left. When playing in an attacking band comprising Ousmane Dembélé and Ansu Fati (both of whom are currently injured), he would probably occupy the central role. In a 3-5-2, Memphis would be well equipped to play as one of the two strikers. He would be an equally competent reference point in a possible 4-2-3-1.
Learning to play with Messi
As happens with any first team signings, it is crucial that Depay learns how to play in the same team as Leo Messi. Depay, one of the most senior players in the Dutch national team and a clear attacking reference at Lyon, must learn to fit into the same XI as Messi, who has total freedom to dictate the side's attacking play.
Happy Sunday, #Culers! 😁💜
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) 25 de julio de 2021
@Memphis & @DeJongFrenkie21 pic.twitter.com/Ih9bLFYKuk
Understanding how he moves and learning how to combine with him will very important if the team is to be successful. Memphis likes to drop deep to build plays from the middle third, but he needs to know when and how to do it. Koeman will need to help his compatriot in this regard in order to exploit all of his strengths.
Creativity and imagination
A common criticism of Barça over recent years is that they have been too predictable to play against. All the team's creativity and imagination has come from Messi, who could have done with more team mates who were on his wavelength. There have been flashes of creativity from Dembélé and Griezmann and occasional glimpses from Pedri and De Jong, but these players are ultimately stronger in other areas. The ability to surprise the opposition depends largely on the ability of the strikers to see moves that no one else sees.
Enjoyed playing with my new teammates today! 🙏🏽💜
— Memphis Depay (@Memphis) 24 de julio de 2021
Also happy with my first goal! ⚽️ #preseason #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/uFEfd93AFR
Koeman can be very happy with the signing of Memphis Depay, as one of his main strengths is that he plays a 'different' style of football which is far from academic. This is something that is also appreciated by the Camp Nou faithful. Lots of work is still to be done, and playing for Barça is, of course, far from easy. However, the Dutch forward honed his skills in teams that implement a Barça style of play, which means that part of his homework is already done.
Character and ambition
The team has also added a large dose of 'non-conformity' with the signing of Memphis, who is a strong-willed and ambitious player who hates nothing more than losing. He's the sort of player who can carry the team through difficult moments. While he won't reach Leo Messi's level in this regard, he will add a winning mentality and will be happy to assume responsibility for unblocking games. This responsibility will, ultimately, always fall to Messi, but Depay represents a useful alternative for his team mates.
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