Barcelona transfer news: Juventus want to snatch top transfer target from Ronald Koeman

After missing out on the Dutch forward’s signature in the summer, the Camp Nou outfit are keen to clinch his signature on a cheap in January.

Juventus are ready to go head-to-head with Barcelona for the signature of Memphis Depay in the January transfer window, reports Mundo Deportivo .

Depay has been on the top of the transfer wish list of Ronald Koeman since his appointment as Barca manager in the summer. The 57-year-old coached Netherlands international Depay during his two-year stint as the manager of the Dutch national side between 2018 and 2020.

Koeman was visibly impressed by what he saw from the Lyon ace and wanted to make him his first signing at the Camp Nou outfit. However, despite striking an agreement with Lyon for the player’s signature, Barca, after being unable to offload Ousmane Dembele, saw the move fell through.

Olympique Lyonnais are ready to sell Memphis Depay for just 5 million euros in January. [l'equipe via sport] pic.twitter.com/WndepSIsdv

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 19, 2020

The Camp Nou outfit have been short of funds this season and wanted to use the money generated by Dembele’s departure to fund the signing of Depay. But after the French winger decided against leaving the Camp Nou for Manchester United in the summer, Barca had no chance to sign Depay.

Yet they were hopeful that, with just a year remaining on Depay’s contract with Rudi Garcia’s side, they could either snap him on a cheap in January or on a Bosman next summer. What they couldn’t have known at the time was that Juventus would also rival them for the Dutchman.

The Old Lady are reportedly in the market for attacking reinforcements after making an average start to Serie A campaign. Andrea Pirlo’s side are currently sitting at 3 ^rd place in the Italian top flight, four points behind leaders Milan, and want to sign Depay to ease the goalscoring burden on Cristiano Ronaldo.