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Chelsea have reportedly entered the race to sign Barcelona star Memphis Depay in January. The Blues are ready to fight Newcastle United, Tottenham, and Manchester United for the signature of the Dutchman.
The Evening Standard claim that Graham Potter's side are interested in bringing in a striker in the January window and see Depay as a perfect fit. The 2021 UEFA Champions League winners are in the market for a forward following the injury of Armando Broja.
The young Chelsea forward suffered an ACL injury earlier this month in a warmup match against Aston Villa and was stretchered off. He eventually underwent surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Depay has been linked with a move away from Barcelona as he is not the first choice at the club. Manager Xavi Hernandez has preferred Robert Lewandowski as his forward at Barcelona after luring the striker away from Bayern Munich in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Newcastle United have also been linked with the forward as they look to bolster their attack. The three sides are battling for a Top 4 spot in the Premier League along with Chelsea.
Chelsea target hints at leaving Barcelona in the January window
Memphis Depay hinted at a move away from Barcelona just before taking the pitch for the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup. The forward claimed he was focused on the tournament in Qatar and was not thinking of his club future at that point.
However, he refused to rule out a move away from Barcelona. He said:
"I don't know what will happen after the World Cup. The injury has been hard, but I'm already recovered and I'm enjoying the World Cup. We have a good team that can prove things. I don't want to think about the past, I'm focused on the World Cup. I also don't want to think beyond this competition."
He added:
"I don't know what will happen after the World Cup. I'm very happy to play again, very happy. It took me a long time to come back. It hasn't been easy mentally, but I've worked hard to get there."
Depay was close to leaving Camp Nou and joining Juventus in the summer window. However, the move fell through.
