Barcelona cannot afford Memphis Depay due to COVID-19 losses, claims Lyon chief

Since Ronald Koeman took charge at the Camp Nou, a host of Dutch players have been linked with a move to Barcelona. Among the names listed by Barcelona transfer news, Memphis Depay dominated headline with the Lyon striker aimed as a potential replacement for the outgoing Luis Suarez. However, the Depay to Barca deal has hit an impasse and the Blaugrana's financial crisis is the main reason behind it, claims Lyon chief Jean-Michel Aulas. 

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Barcelona transfer news: LaLiga giants cannot afford Depay transfer says Lyon chief 

While Barcelona transfer news has frequently linked Depay to Barca in recent weeks, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas took to Twitter to address the rumours surrounding the deal. After reports suggest that Depay to Barca was all but done for a fee in the region of €25-30 million, Aulas provided a dramatic twist on Tuesday. Quoting a report from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the Lyon president said that Barcelona have been massively hit by the COVID-19 crisis and would be unable to lodge a Memphis Depay transfer bid. Speaking on the Depay to Barca transfer rumours, Aulas added that Barca president Josep Bartomeu has informed him that club will be unable to make a move for the Dutch striker this summer. 

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Barcelona transfer news: Koeman confirms Depay transfer has stalled

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu recently revealed that the club is set to lose close to 30% of their budgeted income which is estimated to be around a staggering €300 million. After Jean-Michel Aulas' comments, Ronald Koeman, in an interview with Fox Sports Netherlands, admitted that Barcelona need to sell players before buying the 26-year-old Dutch international. While Barcelona transfer news has linked them with moves for Liverpool's Georgino Wijnaldum, Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, the Blaugrana manager said that the club was likely to enter pre-season with the same group of players.

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Barcelona's inflated wage bill and COVID-19 losses have massively depleted their strength in the transfer market, with the LaLiga giants looking to sell players to cut back on their wage bill. Midfielder Ivan Rakitic was sold off to Sevilla while Arturo Vidal is nearing a transfer to Inter Milan with each passing day. Luis Suarez, who was also told to leave by Koeman, is reportedly set to stay at the Camp Nou despite falling out of favour under the new manager. As for Memphis Depay, Lyon will hope to cash in on their star attacker this summer or convince him to sign a new contract, with his current deal expiring next season. Since joining the Ligue1 outfit in January 2017, the 26-year-old has scored 46 goals in 103 league games for them. 

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(Image Courtesy: Memphis Depay Instagram)