Each day we pick out a player and cut through the noise to give analytical, objective insight. Friday's focus is on Barcelona forward Memphis Depay.
- Age: 28
- Position: Centre-forward
- Club: Barcelona
- Country: Netherlands
Though seemingly the forgotten man at Barcelona this season with just two LaLiga appearances under his belt, Memphis Depay was on fire for the Catalonians last term.
The Dutch international finished as top scorer for his side before the arrival of Robert Lewandowski forced him out of boss Xavi's plans.
Speculation regarding a loan move to Newcastle could spell an end to a frustrating campaign on the Camp Nou bench, with a move to Atletico Madrid also mooted.
Though it ultimately wasn't enough to stop Real Madrid's romp to the title, Memphis' 12 league goals stood him out among this peers.
He bested Barca teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by one and next-best Luuk de Jong by six, ranking tenth overall in La Liga while having played fewer minutes than any of the top nine.
The Dutchman was a constant threat, and very accurate with his shooting, testing the opposition goalkeeper regularly.
In terms of shots on target per match, only Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio and Arnaut Groeneveld managed more than the Barcelona forward, who racked up 1.41.
However, when we look at underlying data, Depay's value really becomes apparent.
Based on expected goal involvement (xGI) per 95 minutes, Memphis ranked as the fifth most effective player in the league last season.
His 0.82 xGI/95 ranked him higher than Vinicius Jr, Ousmane Dembele and Joao Felix.
The fact that this is broken up into 0.57 xG/95 and 0.25 xA/95 shows the dual threat he offers as not only a finisher but also a creator at an elite level.
While things didn't work out for Depay when he was last in the Premier League, he is certainly a much better player now, and whoever signs the Dutchman will be signing a very effective forward who was among La Liga's best in 21/22.
