Report: Tottenham transfer target stripped off his squad number at La Liga club

Tottenham transfer target Memphis Depay stripped off his Barcelona squad number

According to TalkSPORT (h/t Football.London), Memphis Depay has been stripped off his squad number at Barcelona amidst uncertainty surrounding his future.

Spanish outlet Sport recently claimed that Spurs made an offer for the Dutch striker while Gerard Romero stated that Barcelona could look to swap Depay with Sergio Reguilon (h/t Football.London).

Stripping off a player’s jersey number for a new signing hints at the fact that the former is going to be replaced in the starting XI by the latter. That is believed to be the case with Depay and Robert Lewandowski.

The Polish striker left Bayern Munich for Barcelona this summer in a blockbuster deal. Having worn the No 9 kit at Bayern and Poland, it was likely that the 33-year-old superstar would demand the same at his new club.

What should Tottenham do?

It remains to be seen if and when the squad number change will be announced by Barca, but it could spell the end of the Holland international in Xavi Hernandez’s starting XI. He was an important part of their team last season.

Depay started regularly for Barca in a season where they were rebuilding after the loss of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain. But it seems that the club have already outgrown him.

Spurs can use a player like him. However, it is very difficult to see where he would fit in their starting XI, especially after the arrival of Richarlison.

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Given his talent and status, Depay may not want to be a benchwarmer at N17. And that is only fair but when we consider how below-par he was during his stint at Manchester United a few years back, perhaps this is a transfer we should steer clear from.