A good deal or a scam? Barcelona sold this player for cents and now it is clear why

In recent years Barcelona have had serious financial problems that prevented them from putting together top level teams and competing with other European giants for the Champions League title. The main reason for this is the bad decisions of the previous chiefs, who spent a fortune on signing players who then had disappointing performances.

Since Joan Laporta has been president, that has changed. The club has spent less money and chosen better players. But they have not always got it right. In 2021 they signed Memphis Depay, who at Olympique Lyonnais had shown excellent performances. However, just a year later they decided to sell him to Atletico Madrid for $3 million plus $1 million more if certain targets were met.

This seemed like a bad decision, as the Dutch forward had proven to be an interesting player, while the money Los Colchoneros paid for him seemed insufficient. But time may have proven Barcelona right.

Since his arrival at Atlético Madrid in January 2022, Depay has spent more than 180 days on the sidelines due to muscle injuries. This means that almost half of the time he has spent at his new club, he has been unavailable. And coach Diego Simeone surely regrets it, as every time he was able to play he showed satisfactory performances. In fact, he averages almost a goal every other game.

He's fine now

Memphis Depay's last injury was on September 26. This prevented him from playing several La Liga and Champions League matches, as well as Euro 2024 qualifiers with the Netherlands national team. He is now recovered and has come off the bench in the last two games, against Mallorca in La Liga and vs Feyenoord in the Champions League. The manager wants to have him fit, as he will need him for next Sunday's match against Barcelona.