Memphis Depay

[Morten]

Hope you guys give him a long contract and a big wage, he deserves it.

 

[ebc_99]

Depay is a really good player, underrated after his time in England which wasn't that bad. I think he can be a great addition to the squad but not as a starter, it would be underwhelming if he was our number 9 but as somebody who could play a support role then he would be fantastic.

 

[malvolio]

Depay is a really good player, underrated after his time in England which wasn't that bad. I think he can be a great addition to the squad but not as a starter, it would be underwhelming if he was our number 9 but as somebody who could play a support role then he would be fantastic.

just out of curiosity - has barca ever transferred a big club flop that managed to turn his career around and be successful here?

 

[fergus90]

I can't see Depay joining just to accept a squad role, and I can't see Koeman campaigning for him so much if he didn't see him as part of his starting 11.

 

[Porque]

Does Samuel Eto'o count?

The only other one which is a clearer example is Luis Enrique.

 

[malvolio]

Does Samuel Eto'o count?

he was a kid, so i guess not.

enrique wasn't really a flop for real, was he?

 

[fergus90]

Does Samuel Eto'o count?

The only other one which is a clearer example is Luis Enrique.

Michael Laudrup - didn't hit the heights at Juve, was unreal for Barca.

 

[Porque]

he was a kid, so i guess not.

enrique wasn't really a flop for real, was he?

He didn't play much and they weren't sad to see him go, and neither was he.

Not many examples. Off the top of my head the only other recent-ish is Gio who didn't exactly flop at Arsenal but was average and fans were happy to see him leave.

Then the example closest to Depay (and I really hate mentioning them both in the same sentence) is Thierry Henry who flopped at Juve, done well at Arsenal and then moved here. Different levels of talent of course.

So yeah, few and far between.

 

[Laplacian]

I can't see Depay joining just to accept a squad role, and I can't see Koeman campaigning for him so much if he didn't see him as part of his starting 11.

Exactly. Koeman wants him as a number 9. He took Depay away from the attacking midfielder/winger positions and placed him as a 9 with the intention to convert him because the Netherlands lacks a decent number 9. The experiment failed as Depay always ended up functioning as a false 9.

You bet your ass Koeman specifically wants Depay in order to try his experiment again and solve Barcelona's no. 9 issues. He's not twerking hard for him to play at a position Depay sucks at (winger) or to use him as a back up.

 

[ebc_99]

just out of curiosity - has barca ever transferred a big club flop that managed to turn his career around and be successful here?

Kluivart struggled at Milan and Pique wasn't great at Man Utd, those 2 off the top of my head but it is not common.

 

[te amo barca]

Between him and Griez, I choose Depay. At least he can run at defense and has some trickery. Tired of Griezmann passing it back as soon as a defender emerges in front of him.

 

[Birdy]

He is class.
Question is whether he can be disciplined enough to do all the necessary things tactically whether as a 9 or as a LW or as sth in between the two in a 3-5-2 formation

 

[Andresito]

We shouldn't put too much weight into what Koeman is planning and thinking. He knows Depay and knows what he can get out of him.

Depay is being talked about the same way as Coutinho and Griezmann, like we're blowing our entire budget on him.

If he works out then fine, if he doesn't he'll be easy to bench compared to Cou and Griez who have to be shoehorned into the lineup because of their costs.
Can always sell Depay for 10-15-20m and cover for his wages.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

Chances created in European top leagues

 

[Laplacian]

We don't want chance creators, we want finishers.