West Ham United have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to secure the signing of Barcelona forward Memphis Depay in the summer transfer window.
According to Fichajes, Barcelona forward Memphis Depay is attracting a lot of interest from the Premier League ahead of the transfer window, with West Ham United joining Arsenal in pursuit of the Dutchman.
Depay signed for Barcelona only last summer, arriving on a Bosman deal after his contract with Olympique Lyon had run its course. The 28-year-old made a brilliant start to life in Catalonia, quickly establishing himself as a key player under then-manager Ronald Koeman. However, the change of managers, injury and January recruitment has hurt his game time in the latter half of the campaign.
Indeed, Depay spent a significant time out on the sidelines and, upon returning, has had to play second-fiddle to the likes of Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele. But, whenever given a chance, the Netherlands international has performed well and is Barcelona’s top scorer this term, with 13 goals in 36 games across all competitions.
However, with Ansu Fati now back to full fitness and Barcelona optimistic about signing Robert Lewandowski in the summer, Depay’s prospects of regular football at Camp Nou look bleak. Furthermore, his contract with the Blaugrana stands to expire next year, and with the club in dire need of funds, selling the former Manchester United forward could be a strong possibility.
Arsenal have been sniffing around the possibility of signing Depay, with Mikel Arteta eyeing reinforcements to his attacking unit. The Gunners require multiple centre-forwards in the summer, as they lost Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January and will see Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah leave as free agents in over a month.
A deal for Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus is believed to be close, but another forward would be welcome at the Emirates. Depay, to that end, can be a viable target as the Dutchman is adept at playing through the middle or out wide, which would add more options at the manager’s disposal to manoeuvre his team.
However, Arsenal are set to face competition from West Ham United in the race to land Depay. The Hammers, much like their London rivals, need to sign a new centre-forward desperately to compete with Michail Antonio. The 28-year-old Barcelona ace could be a good option for David Moyes’ side due to his pace and ability to make darting runs behind the defence.
Apart from Arsenal and West Ham United, Juventus are also interested in Memphis Depay. The Hammers may be at a disadvantage in the race as Juve will be able to offer him Champions League football next season, while Arsenal could, too, provided they hold on to their fourth place in the Premier League.
