Memphis Depay reportedly does not want to leave Barcelona to join La Liga club Real Sociedad, with Manchester United his favoured destination.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, another door has closed for Memphis Depay as the summer transfer window draws to a close. The Dutch attacker does not want to join La Liga club Real Sociedad amid interest from Manchester United, with Old Trafford his preferred destination.
Memphis Depay is still at the peak of his powers but is inexplicably staring at an uncertain future at the club level. The 28-year-old joined Barcelona in a Bosman move last summer and ended the 2021/22 campaign as the Catalan club’s top scorer. But with Barcelona signing Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha this year, he has fallen down the pecking order.
The Dutch attacker is now a bit-part player for Barcelona and is yet to feature in a competitive game for the Blaugrana in the early days of the 2022/23 season. And the Catalan giants want to offload Depay before the summer transfer window shuts down, with Manchester United and Real Sociedad keen on signing him.
The interest from Manchester United stems from the uncertainties surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese international wants to leave the Red Devils to join a club in the UEFA Champions League. Manchester United will thus need to be ready to sign a replacement if Ronaldo leaves, with Depay emerging as a viable target.
Recent reports have claimed that the Barcelona forward is open to returning to Manchester United this summer after Juventus ended interest in him. But the Premier League heavyweights face stiff competition from La Liga Real Sociedad in the race to sign Depay from Barcelona.
Real Sociedad will need to invest in an attacking reinforcement after losing Alexander Isak to Newcastle United this summer. The Basque giants have thus set their sights on Depay, approaching Barcelona over a possible late move. But Depay does not want to join Real Sociedad this summer.
The 28-year-old forward will prefer to join Manchester United, with Real Sociedad failing to inspire him over a late move. But it will be interesting to see if Manchester United will launch the offensive to sign Depay from Barcelona once Antony completes his proposed move to Old Trafford.