Olympique Lyon does not want to cooperate in a winter departure from Memphis Depay. The Orange International has been in the focus of FC Barcelona for months, but Olympique Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas says he will keep his contract.
“Memphis will stay, of course,” Aulas said in a conversation with Tuesday RMC Sport. “I was also the first to say he would not leave during the last transfer period, but nobody wanted to listen to me then.”
“I’m not in love with Memphis, but I think he can take the club to a dimension that everyone within the club strives for,” Aulas continued. “We absolutely have to do well this season. We started the season badly, but have the qualities to perform much better. Memphis is very important in that, so he will stay with our club.”
Memphis was close to a move to FC Barcelona from trainer Ronald Koeman in October, but the Spanish Football Association rejected the transfer due to the poor financial position of the Spanish superpower, which has been badly affected by the corona crisis.
At the time, Koeman admitted to seeing an asset in Memphis. “He is a player who holds a ball in the front, wins his duels and has a high return,” said the former national coach at the WE. “And if you have worked well with a player, and you know a player and you have a connection with a player, then I think it can succeed here too.”
Aulas acknowledged that there is a good chance that Memphis will leave Olympique Lyon at the end of the current season, which is in fifth place in Ligue 1. The contract of the 26-year-old striker, who is also captain of the French club, is running. next summer.
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