Xavi continues to bet on the idea of signing a replacement for Memphis – report

Memphis Depay’s departure from Barcelona was finally confirmed on Friday, with the forward joining Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal.

Depay’s exit has ushered in the desire to sign a new player at Barcelona, with Xavi Hernandez keen on signing a proper replacement for the Dutchman, even though he did not play a crucial role in the first team.

Barcelona’s job has been made difficult by La Liga’s Financial Fair Play regulations that have crippled the club’s powers in the market. This has led to a lack of activity from the Catalan giants, as far as incoming transfers are concerned.

According to Javi Miguel, though, Xavi continues to bet on the idea of singing a replacement for Depay. The message among the internal members of the club is clear: “The more we strengthen ourselves, the better.”

This comes after Xavi said in his press conference earlier today that he is happy with the squad at his disposal, while admitting that any signing would be difficult due to the Financial Fair Play problems.

To that end, Barcelona are awaiting a response from La Liga, to learn how much Fair Play margin they have following Depay’s exit which they can utilise to sign a new player.

Depending on the response, Barça are expected to gauge the situation in the market and potentially go after a new player. They have already been linked with a move for Yannick Carrasco, though it appears Atleti are unwilling to offload the Belgian until the end of the season.

If necessary, Barcelona may even look to sanction the exit of other players in an attempt to further balance the books.

Chelsea have been credited with some interest in Franck Kessie, with the Blues identifying the Ivorian international as an ideal alternative for Moises Caicedo.

Another candidate for a departure could be Hector Bellerin, although it appears the Spaniard is set to remain at Camp Nou until the end of the season, having rejected multiple offers from Premier League clubs including Everton.