Fabrizio Romano has said rumoured Arsenal and Manchester United target Memphis Depay would be open to a move to Atletico Madrid, with the La Liga side interested in signing the striker to replace Joao Felix.
Taking to Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that the Netherlands international would be keen on joining FC Barcelona’s La Liga rivals, with Depay expected to leave Catalonia this January as Xavi Hernandez looks to make some sales this month.
The news will come as a blow for Arsenal and United, who according to Sport are both interested in signing Depay as attacking depth. However, it now seems that Atletico will win the race for the striker following the loan departure of Joao Felix to Chelsea.
Moreover, with Arsenal and United both close to signing different attackers in Mykhailo Mudryk and Wout Weghorst respectively, Depay heading to Atletico makes quite a lot of sense for the attacker, who could be a perfect forward under Diego Simeone.
Indeed, the Argentine coach is a huge fan of attackers who can lead the line whilst also press, and Depay is a player who do just that, making the Dutchman an ideal replacement for Felix, who struggled in his three years in Madrid with the European giants.
Atletico signing Depay could be one of the transfers of the window
Depay has been somewhat underrated during his time with Barcelona, with the signings of Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and former striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang meaning that the former United star barely got a chance to shine. Yet that can all change at Atletico.
At 28-years-old, Depay is about to hit the prime of his career, and for a club like Atletico where the forward’s style of play perfectly suits the culture of the club, the Arsenal and United target could easily be one of the best signings of the window if a deal goes through in the coming days.
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