Barcelona are in talks with Roma over a January sale of forward Memphis Depay, according to 90min.
The Dutchman has had a stunning World Cup campaign and is set to leave the club after making just two appearances in La Liga this season.
Although club director Jordi Cruyff recently stated that there was no need to sell the attacker, 90min understands that Roma are in talks over a move which could see him link up with Jose Mourinho, having briefly played under him at Manchester United.
His impressive international form will have helped garner interest in the 28-year-old, who has fallen down the pecking order after the arrivals of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski in the summer.
“Jose Mourinho is now eager to take him to Roma in the New Year, but terms of a deal are far form being agreed,” the report stated.
“Roma are happy to take him, but it has not been decided whether it would be on loan until his contract expires at the end of the season or on a longer term permanent deal.
Barcelona are reluctant for any move to go through without gaining some financial benefit due to issues they are having with Financial Fair Play.”
TIF thoughts on Depay…
Despite Cruyff’s comments, there will be no better time to cash in on a player who has hardly featured all season.
His strong showings in Qatar will have alerted clubs in need of a cheap January pickup, and his stock will plummet if he spends the second half of the season on the bench.
Given Barcelona’s tight finances, receiving a transfer fee for a player they initially brought in for free would be good business, and would also release his €200k per week (£172k-per-week) wages from the bill.
With his contract running out in 2023, their willingness to sell the player will depend upon whether they intend to use him. If they don’t want to play him, they should cash in now.