Lyon have opened contract talks with Memphis Depay over amid reports that Everton have been tracking the forward, according to Inside Futbol, who cite the print version of L’Equipe.
The Athletic reported in late January that the Toffees had made preliminary contact over signing the Dutchman last summer, only for the club’s lack of European football to derail discussions, with Memphis not wanting the move.
That didn’t deter Everton however, with Marcel Brands being named as a big admirer of the forward. As such, the Blues continued to track the former Manchester United man, but a January move was ruled out after Memphis suffered a season-ending injury in December.
Now, in order to protect their star player from further interest once he has recovered from his injury, L’Equipe claim that the French Ligue 1 club have made movements to tie Memphis down to a new deal.
They claim that Memphis was prepared to wait until after the European Championship before discussing his future, but following his injury, he has changed his mind and is now interested in holding talks.
If an agreement cannot be reached, Lyon could be willing to listen to offers for the Netherlands international, leaving the door open for clubs like Everton to reignite interest.
Read Everton Verdict
While Memphis Depay wasn’t perhaps the most popular player at Old Trafford, the Dutchman’s impressive goalscoring records for both PSV and for Lyon cannot be ignored. Memphis scored 39 times in 90 league appearances for PSV (SoccerBase), before leaving for Manchester United at the age of 21.
Since joining Lyon in 2017, the 25-year old has scored 43 goal in 102 Ligue 1 games (SoccerBase), nine goals of which came in 13 league games this season before his injury (Transfermarkt).
Able to play as both a lone forward or on either flank (Transfermarkt), Memphis’ versatility could be a major asset for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, particularly as they look to meet their Europa League ambitions in the near future.
Transfermarkt currently value Memphis at £49.5million, and should he sign a new contract with the French club, that price will likely rocket upwards.
Therefore, if Everton do look to reignite interest, they will likely be expected to pay a huge sum, which could be a stumbling block.
Marcel Brands spoke at the club’s recent AGM about last summer’s pursuit of Wilfried Zaha, claiming that he was always an “unrealistic” target due to Crystal Palace’s high asking price.
That could very much be a similar case with Lyon and Memphis, where Everton could ultimately be priced out of a move for the Dutchman.
