Barcelona improve offer to Memphis Depay as Juventus consider late bid
By Tom Gott
Barcelona have bumped up their offer to Lyon forward Memphis Depay to ensure he puts pen to paper on a contract at Camp Nou this summer, in order to avoid a repeat of the recent Georginio Wijnaldum debacle.
The Spanish side had been chasing Wijnaldum for over 12 months and were widely expected to get a deal done for the Liverpool man this summer, only for PSG to swoop in, double his salary, and snatch him away from Barcelona.
President Joan Laporta was left stunned at just how quickly the move for Wijnaldum collapsed, and according to Fabrizio Romano, he is adamant it won't happen again with Depay, who has been handed an improved offer to get things over the line quicker.
Depay has been handed a three-year contract with a salary higher than Barcelona had proposed originally, with the Spanish side hoping it will be high enough to convince Depay to sign on immediately.
The news comes after Corriere dello Sport suggested Juventus are contemplating a late push for the Dutch forward.
New Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri has named Depay on his list of potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo, who he would be prepared to see walk out the door this summer. Ronaldo is also keen to leave and ESPN say he is exploring his options, with his representatives reaching out to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Should Ronaldo leave, Juventus will consider a move for Depay, but it is suggested that the 27-year-old is more of a backup plan than a preferred target.
Instead, Allegri would prefer a move for PSG's Mauro Icardi or Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic.
With doubts over just how much Juventus actually want Depay, it seems as though Barcelona will be able to get this one over the line without any real issues.
Netherlands boss Frank de Boer has warned both Wijnaldum and Depay that they will have to wait until after the Euros to undergo medicals, so even though both players are close to figuring out their futures, official confirmation could be a while away.