Barcelona striker open to joining Atletico Madrid in January – Fabrizio Romano

Atletico Madrid’s interest in signing Memphis Depay in January has become a talking point in the FC Barcelona camp. Several reports claim the Catalans are currently analysing the idea of offloading the attacker, whose current contract expires at the end of the season.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Atletico Madrid have taken the pursuit a step further and are involved in active talks with Barcelona over a deal for Depay. They are now starting to show concrete interest in the attacker, more than Premier League clubs who were linked with him.

Romano further claims that Depay, for his part, is open to the idea of joining Atletico Madrid in this January transfer window. This can be quite significant as the former Manchester United starlet has refused to leave the club in the past, despite interest from across Europe.

But with Joao Felix joining Chelsea on a loan deal, it appears Memphis has identified an excellent opportunity to make a name for himself in one of the biggest clubs in Spain.

The Dutchman, after all, has endured a difficult season at Barça thus far. He fell behind the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres in the pecking order, with Xavi barely utilising his services. Injuries did not help his cause either.

But a solid showing in the FIFA World Cup has now helped Depay regain some clout, with Atletico Madrid among the clubs interested in securing his services this month.

The fate of this transfer saga is now entirely up to Barcelona. The Catalans reaching an agreement with Atleti could finalise the deal, but given the fact that Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres are facing suspensions, Xavi is in a tricky situation.

With no proper number nine at their disposal until Lewandowski’s return, it will not come as a surprise to see Barcelona delaying the negotiations, even if they agree to sell Depay in January. A lot may also depend on whether or not Atletico are willing to shell out a fee to acquire his services.