Official: Memphis Depay leaves Barcelona for Atletico Madrid

Memphis Depay has brought to an end to his stint at FC Barcelona and signed for Atletico Madrid, the club have confirmed via an official statement.

The Netherlands international signed for Barça in the summer of 2021, arriving as a free agent after his contract with Olympique Lyon had run out.

He was a prominent part of the team under Ronald Koeman, but his importance in the side was receding once Xavi Hernandez took over the reins. While he still made some important contributions last season, Depay had been relegated to a bit-part player this term.

The Dutch forward played just four times across all competitions, indicating he was no longer an important part of the plans at Camp Nou.

While he was initially reluctant to leave in January, Depay became open to a move when an opportunity to join Atletico Madrid.

Los Rojiblancos were on the lookout for a new forward to make up for the departures of Joao Felix and Matheus Cunha and identified Depay as their primary target.

Negotiations went on swiftly, but there were some roadblocks as Atleti were initially reluctant to pay any fee for his services. However, Barcelona were unwilling to do business without any compensation, while they were also demanding Yannick Carrasco as part of the deal.

🤝 Acord per al traspàs de @Memphis a l’Atlètic de Madrid

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) January 20, 2023

But, they finally managed to strike an agreement which has now seen Depay complete a move to Atletico Madrid in a deal worth €3 million, with another €1 million in potential variables. The Dutchman has signed a contract with the club until 2025.

Depay leaves Barcelona after making a total of 42 appearances in which he scored 14 goals and set up two more.

It has been confirmed by the club that as part of the agreement, Barcelona secured an option to sign Carrasco from Atletico Madrid. Gerard Romero has reported that they could do so for a fee of around €15 million next summer.