Memphis Depay reportedly has no interest in joining Premier League outfit Newcastle United amid uncertainties surrounding his Barcelona future.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Memphis Depay is ready to leave Barcelona amid uncertainties surrounding his long-term future at Camp Nou. But the Dutch forward will not join Premier League bigwigs Newcastle United, thereby handing the Magpies a major blow in his pursuit.
Memphis Depay has endured a hit and miss stint since joining Barcelona on a Bosman move last summer. While the 27-year-old started the season strongly and put in several influential displays, his form has petered off horribly in recent weeks.
Depay has amassed eight goals and two assists in 22 appearances across all competitions and is yet to get off the mark for Barcelona in Europe, having failed to find the back of the net in the UEFA Champions League. And the Dutch international could soon become surplus to requirements at Barcelona ahead of the impending squad overhaul in the summer. Such a situation has captured the attention of Newcastle United.
The Magpies are the latest Premier League big-spenders following their takeover by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium. The first signing under the new regime has already been completed, with Kieran Trippier joining Newcastle United from Atletico Madrid last week.
The Tyneside outfit is now setting sights on bolstering the attacking unit, which is imperative to get clear of the relegation zone in the second half of the season. To that end, several forwards, including Chris Wood, have been linked with Newcastle United, both as means of short-term and long-term solutions.
Depay would fall in the latter category, with Newcastle United prepared to pay a handsome sum to prise him away from Barcelona. However, while Depay is open to leaving Barcelona at the earliest opportunity in the wake of the Catalan club’s stance on selling him, he has no intention of joining Newcastle.
The Barcelona forward has already rejected an approach from the Premier League bigwigs and will look for alternate solutions to clinch an escape from Camp Nou. Newcastle United will thus need to turn attention towards some other striker, although they might succeed in getting one this month with several options on their radar.
