Newcastle United reportedly hold an advantage in the race to sign Barcelona striker Memphis Depay in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 28-year-old's contract at Camp Nou runs out next summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent or for a cut-price fee in January.

He is in the Netherlands squad for the World Cup in Qatar, so his future is not likely to be resolved until after the tournament finishes.

The Latest: Newcastle advantage

As per Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Newcastle's 'financial strength' is 'likely' to give them an advantage over La Liga side Sevilla for Depay's signature.

Selling him in January is a 'viable option' for Barcelona in order to reduce their wage bill, with the 28-year-old currently earning €200,000 per week (£175,000 weekly) at the Spanish giants.

Depay is looking for another 'lucrative contract' to leave Barca, which the Tyneside club could offer 'comfortably' compared to Sevilla, and the Magpies have already made a 'proposal'.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

The fact that Newcastle could sign a player of Depay's quality and experience for a minimal fee is surely a no-brainer.

Gone are the days when he struggled at Manchester United in his first spell in English football, managing just seven goals in two years at Old Trafford.

Hailed as a ‘different beast‘ now by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, Depay has scored an impressive 189 senior goals in total for both club and country combined by the age of 28. Furthermore, Barcelona inserted a mammoth €400m (£350m) release clause when they signed him from Lyon in 2021, showing how highly they rated him at the time.

Nonetheless, a successful World Cup with the Netherlands will only raise his profile further come January, so the Magpies may need to act fast if they are serious about signing him.