Lyon even lowered Depay's asking price for Barca!

Olympique Lyon lowered Memphis Depay's price by five million euros to facilitate his move to FC Barcelona, the Dutch newspaper 'De Telegraaf' reported on Tuesday.

The French club reduced, on the eve of the closing of the transfer market, the cost of the striker from 25 million euros plus five in extras to 20 million plus five in variables, reports the most popular newspaper in the Netherlands.

However, Ousmane Dembélé's refusal to leave for Manchester United ended the Dutch striker's chances of joining Barca.

In an interview with Dutch television 'NOS', Ronald Koeman said that both Barcelona and Depay were hopeful that the negotiations would be successful.

However, the player reportedly told his Netherlands teammates, called up for the game with Mexico on Wednesday, that his transfer was unlikely to materialise, according to the Dutch newspaper.

Depay, 26, has a contract with Olympique Lyon until the summer of 2021. He came up through PSV Eindhoven, where he won the Eredivisie. He then went on to Manchester United, where he spent a season and a half and but did not live up to expectations.

In January 2017, he left to Olympique Lyon. He suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament at the end of last year and was injured for more than six months, but on his return he was instrumental in the French team reaching the semi-final of the Champions League.