Wijnaldum and Depay close to agreeing deals with Barcelona

Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum are close to agreeing on personal terms with Barcelona, according to recent claims in the Netherlands.

Depay and Wijnaldum have both entered the final year of their contracts at Lyon and Liverpool, respectively, and will be available for reasonable prices.

Barcelona’s new boss Ronald Koeman is hopeful of being granted the opportunity to overhaul a squad that produced a disastrous season under Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien.

The Dutch manager has already placed almost the entire squad on the market and started piecing together plans for the ongoing transfer window.

Ivan Rakitic already left Camp Nou to return to Sevilla, with Luis Suarez and several other first-team stars expected to follow in his footsteps soon.

As for the incomings, Koeman is keen to bring in his compatriots Depay and Wijnaldum to help shape a new winning era in Catalonia.

As per Football-Oranje, the two Netherlands internationals are close to finding an agreement with Barcelona over personal terms.

Having entered the final 12 months of his contract at Liverpool, Wijnaldum is still waiting for Liverpool to offer him an extension.

Talks between the parties have yet to take place, which opens the door for Barcelona to swoop in and take the midfielder away from Anfield.

Currently away with the national team, the 29-year-old has refused to confirm or deny the possibility of leaving the Reds in the summer.

On the other hand, Depay, who single-handedly dismantled Dijon in the Ligue 1 curtain-raiser, could part with Lyon before the deadline passes.

The former Manchester United flop turned down the prospect of extending his stay in France and could be sold by Lyon before the transfer window was over.

After a nightmare stint at Old Trafford, the 26-year-old winger has flourished at the Groupama Stadium.

During his three-year spell at Lyon, Depay has re-established himself as one of the most prolific forwards in Europe. He has racked up 57 goals and 43 assists in 139 competitive outings for Les Gones.