Depay's role will be similar to that of Neymar at Barca

Last season Barcelona played without a proper number 9. After the exits of Neymar and Luis Suarez, the Spanish giant suffered a lot.

Memphis Depay will get the chance to be the perfect number 9 for the Catalans. The 27-year-old joined Barca on a free transfer.

Many people are in doubt about signing him. But at the Euro 2020, he has been showing his class, with two goals and two assists in just three games.

His performance has given those people a perfect reply. And this is also good news for the Barca side.

Netherlands boss Frank de Boer's decision to play with a 3-4-1-2 system rather than the tried-and-tested 4-3-3 style used by his predecessor Ronald Koeman enraged spectators and even players, but the players dragged the team through.

Today they will play against the Czech Republic in the round of 16. If they make it to the quarter-finals, they will face a comparatively easy opponent, Denmark. This could make it a bit easy for them to reach the semis.

Last season with Olympique Lyon Depay had 20 goals and 12 assists beside his name. So far so good for him. But the question remains, will he cope up with Barcelona.

Next season Barcelona's attacking side will be covered by Lionel Messi, Depay, and Sergio Aguero. This sounds nice since Neymar and Luis Suarez lined up alongside the little magician.

This trio could be the best option for the Catalan side because Ousmane Dembele has suffered from injuries. Antoine Grizemann cannot carry the ball. Therefore, Messi needs to take extra pressure and Depay could be a better replacement.

Though his team won 2-0 over Austria, Wim Kieft who won the Euros in 1988 as Netherlands striker said to Goal, "Sometimes, you have to play it simple, don't always look for the most complicated or aesthetically pleasing solution."

"That's why Depay loses the ball so much, for his ambition to always play to the limit... He has to learn to make better decisions."

Losing the ball unnecessarily is against Barcelona's fundamental footballing mentality, as Dembele discovered in his early years when his decision-making was widely criticized.

Depay's objective at Barcelona, on the other hand, is to be more like Neymar, a hybrid winger-striker who can operate from the left flank while still having some flexibility to roam.

Depay, if he can produce, will be the type of player Barcelona needs to give Messi, 34, freedom to breathe.

Since Neymar moved to PSG in 2017, defenses have been devoted solely to stopping him, and while this hasn't prevented him from finishing as the league's top scorer in each of the following four seasons, it has made Barcelona more reliant on him than ever.

Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona and in Depay, he'll find dynamic support. Messi's close friendship with Neymar and Suarez was crucial to the attack's success.

And Aguero is at Barcelona for the same reason. He is one of Messi's best friends. As a result of a traumatic childhood, Depay tends to be a closed and untrusting figure.

"At school, he also had a hard time. He was a different kid, and pretty soon he was tagged as a bad boy. Parents did not want their children to play with Memphis. They never invited him to a birthday party," Depay's mother told newspaper AD.

The two-year contract with Barcelona adds to the uncertainty surrounding the move. "We did that with the lawyers and with Barca, we were both happy with that," Depay told NOS.

It means Barcelona will be unable to exploit Depay; the club's financial situation is dire, and signing him for a year with the intention of selling him for a large profit the following summer would have been an option if he had signed a longer-term.

There's also the question of Koeman's future with Barcelona. Joan Laporta attempted to replace the Dutchman this summer but was unable to do so and ultimately needed to keep him. A spate of poor performances could persuade Laporta to reconsider, while Koeman's contract expires in a year.

Barca boss requested Depay to join Barcelona. Koeman managed him with the Netherlands. He has trust in Depay. The attacker has developed in recent years and now appears capable of handling the pressures of a premier club like Barcelona.

Memphis has had a fantastic summer, from being one of the stars of Euro 2020 to complete his long-awaited move to Barcelona. Barcelona is quietly certain that this will be his time as well.