Xavi Hernández has already made it very clear to Joan Laporta that his intention is to keep Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay for next season. The Blaugrana coach considers the two players to be very important pieces for his project. The midfielder, despite his ups and downs, continues to be an essential wild card in midfield, while the striker has the added value of scoring, which is highly sought after on the football scene today. For Xavi there is no doubt: Frenkie and Memphis have to continue.
However, the coach is not oblivious to the precarious situation that the club is experiencing financially, which is why he also leaves an open door for one or even both to leave, as long as the offer that reaches the club is considered. “totally irresistible.” Under these terms, and as AS has learned, an offer from 80 million euros for Frenkie or 30 for Memphis would be considered interesting to start negotiating.
In the case of the possible departure of Frenkie -Manchester United is announced as the most interested club-, Barcelona would activate several solutions, which go through the signing of Carlos Soler, with whom an agreement has already been reached in the absence of closing his departure from Valencia for about 20 million euros, as reported in this newspaper, as well as the transfer of Real Sociedad’s defensive pivot, Martin Zubimendi.
In any case, the player is not in the business of leaving either. In all the conversations he has had with the coach, he has shown his absolute confidence in him, which is why he remains fully convinced that he can end up triumphing at Barcelona. With a contract until 2026, the midfielder has also just completed a complete reform of his home, thus making it clear that he intends to continue.
The Memphis case requires a total rethink: the striker ends his contract in the summer of 2023, so if he finally continues at the club, he would be offered a renewal, since in no case is the Blaugrana entity willing to let the player leave for free next year. For now up front, there will be a sure drop, with the departure of Luuk de Jong, who ends his loan and will return to Sevilla, and the more than possible of Martin Braithwaite and Adama Traoré, without forgetting Ousmane Dembélé, who is still pending one last meeting to know their future. Hence, Xavi considers that Memphis could provide solutions to the team, apart from the incorporation of at least two reinforcements, a right winger, Raphinha is the chosen one, and a center forward, with Robert Lewandowski as the great desired, who would be added two more players from the subsidiary, Ferran Jutglà and Ez Abde.