Chelsea considering cut-price swoop for former Man Utd forward as Potter looks to bolster Blues attack
Chelsea are considering a move for Barcelona forward and former Manchester United man Memphis Depay in January as they look to add attacking options to their squad, according to reports.
The recent injury to Armando Broja leaves Graham Potter with just one out-and-out centre forward at his disposal: the struggling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Chelsea have been in the striker market for some time and Depay could be a viable option as Barcelona are reportedly offering the Dutchman to several clubs this winter.
As mentioned, Broja picked up a horrific anterior cruciate ligament injury during Chelsea’s recent friendly against Aston Villa, meaning the Albanian will likely be out for the rest of the season.
Chelsea also recently completed the £53m signing of Christopher Nkunku, but he will not join his new Chelsea teammates until the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.
Aubameyang will have to fill in for now, but the 33-year-old has found the net just once in the Premier League for the Blues, so they are crying out for other options.
Kai Havertz can play through the middle if required, but neither he nor Aubameyang are long-term solutions to their striker problems.
In that vain, Chelsea have been on the hunt for forwards, with the most recent name linked being Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko.
However, the rumours connecting Depay to the Blues are interesting, given it seems Barcelona are happy to let the Dutchman leave in January.
TEAMtalk discussed yesterday whether Arsenal could go in for the Barca man as a potential replacement for the injured Gabriel Jesus, but recent reports suggest the links to Chelsea are strongest.
That is according to Football.London, who say the Blues have been offered the chance to sign Depay on a cut price £1.7m deal.
Is Depay good enough for Chelsea’s top four challenge?
Chelsea currently sit eighth in the table after losing their last three games on the bounce.
A top-four finish is the absolute minimum requirement for Graham Potter, who according to Football365 is currently the third most likely Premier League manager to be sacked this season.
With the pressure mounting on the English coach, bringing in the right new players is essential.
As for Depay, the 28-year-old has struggled with fitness issues this season and is approaching the final six months of his contract after Barcelona signed him last summer from Lyon.
Having only played two league games, Depay is behind the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele in the pecking order and is looking for a way out earlier than June 2023.
Although, the last time Depay played in the Premier League it has to be said he struggled.
In his last full season at Old Trafford in 2015/16, the Dutchman scored just two goals in 32 league appearances and eventually fell out of favour with the then-manager Louis van Gaal.
However, he did have a decent campaign with Barcelona in 2021-22, netting 12 times in 28 matches.
The question is, is Depay good enough to revive Chelsea’s top-four hopes? The race for Champions League qualification seems to be more competitive than ever with Newcastle, Liverpool, Spurs, Man United and Brighton all battling for the third and fourth spots.
At a bargain price of £1.7m, Depay could be worth a punt for Potter.
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