Memphis Depay anticipates 'a lot' of silverware as he trains with Barcelona for the first time
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Published 20/07/2021 at 12:00 GMT
Memphis Depay was presented to fans at the Camp Nou on Monday after his summer switch from Lyon. The 27-year-old forward arrived on a free transfer in June and will be reunited with former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman. Depay is one of four new arrivals at the Camp Nou, joining alongside former Manchester City duo Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia, as well as Emerson Royal from Real Betis.
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Memphis Depay arrived in Barcelona for the first-time with a clear mission statement: I expect medals.
Depay touched down in Catalunya on Monday to link-up with his new team-mates for pre-season.
The 27-year-old Dutchman joined the Blaugrana on a free transfer from Lyon in June, reuniting him with former national team boss Ronald Koeman.
Speaking to club media during a tour of the Camp Nou, Depay said: “I expect to win a lot of trophies.
“That’s why I’ve come to this beautiful club and I think that is what the club represents - a rich history. I’m very excited to meet everyone involved in the club.”
After a stellar season with Lyon, scoring 20 times in 37 Ligue 1 appearances, Depay started all four of the Netherlands games at Euro 2020.
He scored against Austria and North Macedonia in the group stage, but could not prevent Frank de Boer’s side from crashing out to the Czech Republic in the round of 16.
Back from holiday, Depay landed in Barcelona on Monday and was given a tour of the club museum upon his arrival at the stadium.
“It’s a special day, I’m very excited to go to the club and the stadium. It’s beautiful weather, it is going to be an amazing day,” Depay said.
“I just came from vacation and now it’s time to focus, start the season well...and try to settle in as soon as possible.”
Having struggled to hit the heights many expected of him at Manchester United, Depay has developed into a star forward in France.
The winger struggled for gametime in Manchester following his move from PSV in 2015, but 178 appearances across five seasons in Lyon have seen the Dutchman return an impressive 76 goals.
When asked how he sees himself fitting in, Depay believed it to be the ideal place for him, a fit no doubt helped by the presence of Koeman, who managed the forward during his stint as Dutch manager between 2018 and 2020.
Depay said: “I love to play attacking football. I love to be creative on the pitch, to create chances, assists, goals...so i think it’s perfect for me the way Barcelona plays.
“I think I made the biggest steps with him - playing in the national team, being very important under him.
“He gave me a lot of confidence and also supported me when I was injured. He saw me fighting back and he was fully supporting me to come here and to join the biggest club in the world so I am very happy that he is here and I am ready to fight for him.”
Koeman told club media that Depay’s decision to leave Manchester for Lyon was the right move for the player, as the former Everton boss looks to improve upon last season’s disappointing third place finish in La Liga.
“I know him from the Dutch national team and he made a really good step when he went from United to Lyon in France. He was the captain of the team.
"Barcelona is not Lyon, it is more. He's at a good age, 27, he can play in different positions in the front, he scores goals, he makes assists and he will give more competition to the front players."
Depay is one of four signings the Catalan side have made this summer, joining Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal on the new arrivals list.
Aguero and Garcia joined in a double swoop from Manchester City, both as free agents, whilst 22-year-old right-back Emerson joined from Real Betis for an £8.10 million fee.
However, Barcelona’s outgoings are likely to be just as crucial as their incomings, with reports that the club are desperately attempting to offload players in order to hang on to Lionel Messi.
Incredibly the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is currently unemployed as a free agent, and whilst it is expected that Barcelona will reach an agreement with the Argentinian to keep him on, they urgently need to raise funds to balance the books.
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