Sid Lowe has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur transfer target, Memphis Depay, ‘didn’t care’ that Lionel Messi was before him at Barcelona, as he told ESPN.
The European football expert added that’s when Depay really ‘stood out’ in Barcelona colours because he was playing with an air of confidence, but he thinks his time at the club could now be up.
The Spanish giants have added some serious firepower to their squad this summer, including the capture of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich.
Added with Ousmane Dembele’s potential new contract at the Nou Camp, the January signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the recent arrival of Raphinha from Leeds.
Them it does push Depay further down the pecking order in Xavi’s plans, as Lowe shared his thoughts on the forward’s future.
“He really stood out at the start of the season,” said Lowe. “One of the reasons he stood out is that it looked like he didn’t care.
“He didn’t care that the guy there before was Leo Messi, he didn’t care that this was Barcelona and he didn’t care this was a club full of pressure. He would go through that. He had the strength of personality and character to perform.
“Now, of course, he is in a difficult position, which is for all of those qualities, for all of those things that he showed last season, maybe he’s not a Barcelona player, and in particular, with these kind of players ahead of him.”
COULD TOTTENHAM SIGN DEPAY?
There are a number of clubs circling to try and sign the £17 million player, including Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, who recently sold a Dutch winger in Steven Bergwijn.
Amid these rumours, the question has to be asked whether Depay’s possible signing is a priority for the club heading into the new Premier League season.
It needs to be remembered that Dejan Kulusevski arrived in January and has done wonders for the club, whilst Richarlison swapped Everton colours for Tottenham’s this summer.
Either way, Conte probably needs a creative force in the middle of the park more than anything to help out their fearsome forward line and someone to compliment the defensive qualities they have, with the likes of Yves Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.
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