"We want Depay to come and he wants to too"

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said on Monday he was hopeful of securing Memphis Depay on the final day of the transfer market.

"We want him to come to Barcelona, he wants to come too," said the manager in an interview with Dutch public television channel 'NOS'.

"He's an excellent player. He can play as a striker, but he also does a great job as a left winger" and also "has strength, holds the ball well, wins his duels and has a high performance".

Koeman acknowledged that part of his interest was due to the connection he had with the forward in his time as the Netherlands coach. "When you've worked well with a player, you click with them and I think that can work here too," he said.

However, he said that the transfer will not be easy because "due to the financial situation of the club, especially due to the control of the FA, it is clear that a player must leave before another can come".

The transfer market closes this Monday night in both Spain and France. If the deal is closed, Barcelona would pay about 30 million euros plus two in extras, according to several Dutch media sources.