Atletico Signs Memphis Depay From Barcelona

Memphis Depay with Lyon in 2018
Memphis Depay with Lyon in 2018. Photo by Bagu Blanco/REX/Shutterstock (9435426bn)

Atletico Madrid has signed forward Memphis Depay from La Liga rivals FC Barcelona, the club announced on Friday. The fee could rise above a reported €4 million, sources have confirmed.

With his contract at Barca set to expire in June, Depay had struggled to get game time at Barcelona, only starting two league games this season. Atleti, on the other hand, has been on the lookout for a player like Depay following the departure of Joao Felix to Chelsea on loan and the sale of Matheus Cunha to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“Memphis Depay is a new Atletico de Madrid player following the agreement reached with FC Barcelona for the transfer of the Dutch striker to our club, signing for the remainder of the season and two more seasons,” Atletico confirmed in a public statement.

Relying on just Alvaro Morata, Antoine Griezmann and Angel Correa in attack, Atletico has struggled to find its form this season, getting eliminated from the Champions League in the group stage while struggling to seal a top four spot in La Liga. The team’s season has received a boost, however, after winning 2-0 against Levant in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.