Barcelona are supposedly lining up an alternative name should they fail in their plan to get Memphis Depay from Lyon.
It’s no news anymore that Depay was very close to joining Barcelona over the summer.
The Dutchman looked set to be joining his compatriot Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou but a deal never materialized in the end.
Barcelona found themselves in a delicate situation and Financial Fair Play rules meant that deal could not go through. Depay joining Barcelona was dependent on them selling or loaning out Ousmane Dembele which never happened.
It is believed the Catalan giants will try again for the Dutchman in January.
However, they have another Dutchman lined up as a potential alternative if the Depay move falls through again.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca could turn to PSV Eindhoven’s Donyell Malen.
The 21-year-old Dutchman has four years left on his contract in Holland but has impressed this season, notching five goals and providing two assists in nine games.
Like Depay, Malen is a player Koeman knows from his days as Holland boss with the 57-year-old handing the attacker his senior international debut last year.
For Barca, the priority remains Depay but Malen is an option they will gladly explore.
PSV could be rather reluctant to sell given the player’s current contract details. However, the presence of Koeman at the club gives them a strong hand in pursuit of Dutch players.
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