Memphis Depay believes his ‘dream’ Barcelona move is reward for ‘fighting’ and ‘believing in yourself’ after overcoming his nightmare spell at Manchester United… as he insists he is ‘happy’ with signing just a two-year deal at the Nou Camp
Memphis Depay says both he and Barcelona are satisfied with the duration of his newly signed contract at the club.
Depay, who scored his first goal of Euro 2020 during the Netherland’s 2-0 win over Austria, penned a deal with the Catalan giants until the end of the 2022-2023 season.
The former PSV and Manchester United winger also believes the move to Barcelona is a reward for overcoming some difficult spells throughout his career.
Memphis Depay (above) signed a deal with Barcelona until the end of the 2022-2023 season
Depay, who is the latest player to arrive at the Nou Camp this summer after former Manchester City duo Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia, was welcomed by the Catalan outfit through their social media channels on Saturday.
The length of his two-year-deal came as a surprise to many, but Depay insists he and the club are happy with the duration of the contract.
Speaking about the duration of his contract, Depay told NOS: ‘We did that with the lawyers and with Barca, we were both happy with that.’
Depay was welcomed by the Catalan outfit through their social media channels on Saturday
The Dutch international says he and Barcelona are satisfied with the duration of his contract
The 27-year-old also said it is a ‘dream’ to sign for the Catalan giants and that he felt as though the deal was a reward for overcoming some difficult spells in his career.
He said: ‘Of course it is a dream to play for such a big club. My career has had some ups and downs, I’ve had good and less good moments,’ he said.
‘I’ve tried to fight back and that it’s now being paid off shows to me that you have to keep fighting and keep believing in yourself. I am proud of that and it’s something I will focus on after my holiday.’
Depay joined Manchester United for £31million from PSV Eindhoven in 2015, but struggled to prove his worth at Old Trafford.
He also says the contract is a reward for overcoming some difficult spells at the likes of United
Depay will be reunited with former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman (above) at Barcelona
During his time as the club, he managed to score just two goals in 33 Premier League appearances.
As a result, he moved to Lyon in January 2017 and gradually rebuilt his career in France – scoring an impressive 20 goals in 37 Ligue 1 appearances as Lyon finished fourth last season.
Depay had been continually linked with a move to Barcelona following his change in form and will now officially reunite with former Netherlands boss Koeman.
The Red Devil was crucial part of the Netherlands squad under Koeman and scored 11 times in the 18 matches for the national side.
He also helped restore faith in the Dutch side after their unsuccessful Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup qualifying campaigns.
