Barcelona make £17m transfer decision after agreeing two deals

Football Club Barcelona are expected to part ways with Memphis Depay after agreeing two major deals that will see the Dutch forward deemed surplus to requirements. Xavi Hernandez in on a quest to strengthen his forward line this summer, with multiple signings on the horizon.

The 28-year-old wants to stay at the Camp Nou, but with just one year remaining on his deal and Xavi prioritising other targets, Barcelona will cash in on the £17 million-rated forward. Depay, who joined from Lyon last summer, played 37 games and scored 13 goals as the Catalan club finished second in La Liga.

The two deals threatening Depay's future in Spain are Ousmane Dembele's new contract, and Raphinha's potential arrival from Leeds United. Barcelona have reached an agreement with the former to re-sign on a new two year deal, while the latter is also expected to sign after Leeds accepted Barcelona's latest offer.

Dembele became a free agent on June 30, but Xavi made it clear to club president Joan Laporta that he wants the Frenchman to stay. After weeks of negotiations, the France international accepted Barcelona's two-year deal with a reduced salary.

"Ousmane Dembélé has just landed in Barcelona. He's back to complete the new contract with Barça, already agreed until June 2024," Fabrizio Romano wrote alongside a video of the Frenchman returning to the Catalan capital. "There's full agreement still waiting for Barcelona final approval. Ousmane will reduce his salary."

Raphinha, on the other hand, has been on Barcelona's wanted list since the start of the summer. The Brazil international has already agreed personal terms with the Spanish club, but problems arose when it came to meeting Leeds' £60 million valuation of the player.

Initially, Arsenal were at the front of the queue to sign Raphinha, but Chelsea were decisive and became the first to agree a deal with Leeds with a bid north of £55 million. Barcelona were thought to be out of the race for the Brazilian winger, but a recent cash injection has seen them move to the front of the queue.

According to CBS Sports' Ben Jacobs, the Catalan giants have now reached an agreement with Leeds to sign Raphinha after conceding to meet the Premier League club's demands. After their first offer of £51 million was rejected, they returned with an improved £63 million including add-ons, which was accepted.

"Can confirm Leeds and Barcelona have finally reached an agreement this evening for Raphinha. My understanding is the €50 million + 10 fee is incorrect (Leeds rejected that offer quite some time ago) and the deal is actually worth close to €75 million," Jacobs wrote.

Barcelona are also in advanced negotiations to bring Robert Lewandowski to the club. The Polish forward's arrival will see Xavi stacked with options for his forward line with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati already at the club.