Barcelona will shoot down senstional swap idea for Memphis Depay

Barcelona will likely return for Memphis Depay in January, but they will not give up Antoine Griezmann as part of the transaction.

The odds still favour Memphis Depay finally sealing a move to Barcelona in January, but Lyon’s most recent asking price is far too steep for the Spanish giants. Simply put, Barcelona will not entertain the idea of sending Antoine Griezmann to Lyon in exchange for Memphis.

Credit Lyon officials for anchoring the potential negotiations at such a steep price. According to Goal, the French club are very interested in rescuing Griezmann from his troubled times in Spain. That’s not hard to believe. Every Ligue 1 club with the possible exception of PSG would jump at the chance to add Griezmann to their attacking ranks.

That does not mean Barcelona will entertain the idea for a single moment. If they do decide to move Griezmann in January, they will want to a substantial transfer fee. Simply swapping him for Memphis won’t be enough to secure maximum value for the former Atletico Madrid front man.

Even in this depressed transfer market, Griezmann should be able to net Barcelona somewhere in the neighborhood of £50 million. It’s possible his price could even go higher in January if he enjoys an uptick in form before then.

Memphis, in sharp contrast, will be lucky to fetch £30 million on the open market. The knowledge that he has his heart set on a move to Barcelona will only serve to lower Lyon’s asking price. The La Liga giants understand they have a huge negotiating advantage here.

As such, Barcelona supporters can comfortably chalk this story up as a feeble attempt by Lyon to increase the fee they’ll ultimately receive when Memphis does make his move. It’s not a bad strategy by the French club, but it won’t be successful in the slightest.