Is Memphis Depay helping Barcelona fans forget about Messi?

Memphis Depay is proving to be just the tonic for Barcelona fans in the opening weeks of the season.

The Dutchman has scored seven goals already in 2021/22, with two of those for Barcelona and a remarkable five in three games for the Netherlands.

He is turning out to be one of the bargains of the summer, having arrived at the Camp Nou on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side Lyon at the request of Blaugrana boss Ronald Koeman.

And at the moment, Memphis is also proving quite the replacement for departed Barcelona hero Lionel Messi and looks likely to become the totem of a new era at the Catalan club.

Memphis' exploits so far have even got Barcelona fans comparing his impact at the club to that of Ronaldinho, whose early displays lit up the Camp Nou like perhaps no other footballer has done.

Many think back to his ill-fated spell at Manchester United between 2015 and 2017, but the Dutchman admits that move came too soon in his career and that he felt the pressure of being compared to ex-Reds legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Memphis' career was reborn at Lyon and he got his dream move to Barcelona, where Koeman - who managed him at international level with the Netherlands - has so far shown every faith in him.

Nobody thought it would be easy to fill the cavernous gap left by Messi, but Memphis has taken some steps to doing so.