‘On his day’: Chris Sutton thinks 28-year-old who wants to join Chelsea can be a ‘handful’ at the World Cup

By Nathaniel Kay

Chris Sutton believes Chelsea-linked Memphis Depay can cause problems to opponents at the World Cup in Qatar.

Speaking on the BBC World Cup Daily, Sutton suggested Depay and the Dutch could well dent a lot of the punter’s predictions for the tournament.

Depay is arguably the standout name in Louis van Gaal’s intriguing Netherlands squad, despite not quite being the standout performer in the past few months.

His status as a Barcelona player obviously attracts the eye, along with his tattoos and talent on the ball.

But the 28-year-old has probably lost some magnitude in terms of importance to the national team since moving to the Camp Nou in 2021.

He has only managed 41 appearances for Barca across an injury-ravaged few seasons in La Liga.

Struggles for Depay

The attacker has played just three times for Xavi this term, making Van Gaal’s decision to take him to the World Cup slightly surprising.

But any issues at club level will be moved aside for the next month, allowing those struggling domestically to determine a fresh start for themselves.

What better way to achieve this goal than going all the way in the World Cup?

“Can I call them my dark horses? They are a team I don’t think before the tournament anybody would’ve thought the Netherlands would’ve won this competition,” said Sutton.

“They have some talented players. If they get it going, (Virgil) Van Dijk hasn’t really hit his straps this season.

“The way they play is based around Frankie De Jong in midfield.

“We know Memphis Depay, he hasn’t played much at Barcelona, but on his day he is a handful.”

Depay wants Chelsea move

A new chapter is exactly what Depay needs after being tormented by problems at Barcelona.

According to some reports, the forward views Chelsea as the next stage of his story.

With his contract expiring in June, the former Manchester United failure apparently wants to swap Spain for South West London.

This might be reciprocated by Todd Boehly, who it is said tried to sign Depay on deadline day.

Play well at the World Cup, and Chelsea may well open their doors to you, Memphis.

Nathaniel Kay

"Nathaniel is a football journalist who graduated from the University of Derby. He worked at Burton Albion as part of their media team for two years. Nathaniel produced regular articles for the club’s official website and match-day programme. He covered the 2018 U20 Women’s World Cup in Brittany and has reported from grounds ranging from non-league up to the Premier League. Nathaniel is a full-time writer for the Chelsea Chronicle, and was formerly their social media man. His footballing career reached the sparkling heights of winning the Under-13s Bloxham Tournament in 2011."