Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has been at pains to say that he is content with his squad this January. However for the first time, he opened the door to the possibility that Dutch forward Memphis Depay might leave the club.
Speaking ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey tie against Ceuta on Thursday, Xavi initially batted away the first question regarding Memphis’ future.
“I haven’t heard any news from Memphis. He’s still our player, I’m delighted with him, he’s professional, extraordinary… At the moment he’s our player. We’ll see what happens in the following hours or days, but for now I’m counting on him for everything.”
Atletico Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for Memphis, although recent reports say that negotiations have stalled over Barcelona’s demands.
When pressed, Xavi admitted that he would be coming to a conclusion on whether Memphis was staying or going later on Wednesday.
“We’ve had two days off and today I’ll talk to Memphis. It’s a personal decision. It shouldn’t be an easy situation, he’s not participating, it’s not easy, I understand him.”
Despite starting off last season as a fixture, Memphis has only seen 206 minutes of action this season, spread across four appearances. He did manage a goal against Elche back in September, before picking up an injury that ruled him out until the World Cup.
Even while healthy though, the Memphis has seen himself at the bottom of the pecking order. It would be no surprise if he was seeking an exit.
