Memphis Depay is one of the summer's best buys, joining Barcelona on a free transfer despite being one of the world's best attackers. The Dutchman has gone from a tough spell at Manchester United to a superstar in France and is set to offer Lionel Messi some much-needed support at Camp Nou. This video takes a look at his game: his strengths, weaknesses and how he fits at Barcelona.
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00:03 Introduction
00:20 Record
01:37 Strengths
01:46 Strengths - Build-up passing
02:13 Strengths - Creativity
02:52 Strengths - Ball-carrying
03:18 Strengths - 1v1 dribbling
03:43 Strengths - Versatile
04:21 Strengths - Fitness and physicality
04:58 Weaknesses
05:09 Similar players and current ability
05:35 Fit at Barcelona
06:29 Summary
Transcript:
Record
Memphis rose to prominence as a talented but inconsistent youngster at PSV Eindhoven before breaking out in the 2014/15 season with 22 goals and 5 assists. Eventually, he secured a move to Manchester United where things did not work out as well.
The failed spell at United was more down to his circumstances than himself, as the club found itself in turmoil and could not give Memphis the right environment to grow.
All things happen for a reason, though, and the failed spell at United led to a move to Lyon, the club where Memphis has truly established himself as a superstar.
Memphis has maintained elite output in his time at Lyon, hovering among the league’s best. The difference between good and great players is consistency and Memphis has been very consistent.
Memphis is equally comfortable scoring or assisting, notching double-digits goals and assists in all of his last 3 full seasons. His record of 102 goal contributions since his arrival at Lyon is the best of any Ligue 1 player outside PSG.
All in all, Memphis is a superb all-round attacker who can do pretty much everything you would want.
Memphis has 6 main strengths:
• Versatility
• Build-up passing
• Creativity
• Ball carrying
• 1v1 dribbling
• Fitness
Strengths – Passing
Memphis is one of the best attackers in the world at getting involved in build-up play. His ability to progress and get into dangerous areas is a trait that Barcelona desperately need in order to Messi’s burden.
Memphis ranks incredibly well in terms of virtually every build-up passing metric, acting as a passing hub for Lyon. While he won’t be asked to do the same for Barca, this is incredibly promising.
Strengths – Creativity
Not only is Memphis great at progressing the ball, he also has exceptional creativity and vision. He is a strong creator from both set-pieces and open play, making him a threat impossible to contain.
There are very few players who can match Memphis in terms of quality and quantity of chances created. Players of this level generally go for 60 million or more, not on free transfers.
Strengths – Ball-Carrying
Memphis is also great at progressing the ball through his ball-carrying skills. Despite his recent ACL injury, he still has enough pace to accelerate past defenders with the ball.
Among forwards, Memphis is among the best at running with the ball. Once he gets going with the ball, defenders are not likely to catch him.
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Strengths – 1v1 dribbling
While Memphis is not a Neymar-level dribbler, he is still more than capable in this regard. His quick feet help him beat defenders in tight spaces, adding another dimension to his game.
Memphis has consistently been an excellent dribbler, putting some strong numbers over the last 4 seasons.
Strengths - Versatility
Memphis can play virtually everywhere in attack but is at his best as a left winger or a false 9, which is where most of his minutes have come. In this video, we have treated Memphis as a false 9 and compared him to other forwards.
Over the last 4 seasons at Lyon, Memphis has gradually moved towards a central position in order to maximize his end product. While he is still good on the left, his best work now comes as a striker.
It is hard to find players as good as Memphis in one position, let alone someone capable of playing at a high level in two different positions. Barcelona have truly struck a bargain here.
Scoring, passing, ball-carrying, dribbling, Memphis can virtually do everything. While fans are right to be cautious about his fit with Messi, there are very positive signs that it will work out.
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