Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has, according to reports, sanctioned the sale of a big-name member of his attacking ranks.
The player in question? Memphis Depay.
Dutch international Depay is, of course, fresh off something of a hit and miss debut campaign at the Camp Nou. Despite racking up a respectable 12 goals and two assists across 28 La Liga appearances, the one-time Manchester United man came in for regular criticism on the part of the Blaugrana faithful.
This comes amid long-standing views that Depay is simply not of the standard required for a club with legitimate hopes of returning to the pinnacle of the European game.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 15: Memphis Depay competes for the ball with Robin Le Normand during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on August 15, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
In turn, murmurs had begun to spread across the summer to date that the 28-year-old, just 12 months on from his arrival, could be in line for an exit from Catalunya.
And, if the latest word stemming from the Spanish media is anything to go by, then one individual who would not be against such a scenario is Xavi Hernandez.
As per a report from Javi Miguel of Diario AS, Depay’s representatives were this week informed that the player does not play a part in his manager’s plans beyond the summer.
A sale, in turn, is actively being sought out, with the transfer team at the Camp Nou understood to be hopeful of securing around €25 million.
Xavi abre la puerta a Memphis https://t.co/9RnqZhhgBU a través de @diarioas
— Javi Miguel Club (@fansjavimiguel) July 2, 2022
Coincidentally, such claims come fresh on the back of reports elsewhere that such an offer has in fact already been forthcoming.
According to Spanish transfer journalist Gerard Romero, an unnamed Premier League club this weekend tabled a proposal worth €23 million for Depay’s services, hopeful of thrashing out a deal with their Barcelona counterparts in short order.
🚨🚨| FC Barcelona have received an offer of €23M for Memphis.@gerardromero [🎖️]
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) July 2, 2022
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