Barcelona have been heavily linked with moves for both Neymar and Antoine Griezmann, which could form one of world football’s deadliest attacks alongside Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi.
While neither transfer saga has appeared to be straightforward, Barcelona look to be in the lead to secure the signature of at least Antoine Griezmann, while Neymar has reportedly been pushing for a return to the Camp Nou.
Assuming the Catalans are able to get both mega-transfers over the line, under-fire coach Ernesto Valverde will have several key decisions to make in order to fit four of the world’s best attackers into one side. The arrival of Neymar would in all likelihood also spell the end of Philippe Coutinho’s disappointing tenure at the club, and it could also see Ousmane Dembélé and Malcom depart in order to free up funds.
The key decision Valverde would need to make when aligning his side is centered around Luis Suárez. If the Uruguayan forward were to start, the Blaugrana would in all likelihood need to change the system in midfield, where a holding midfielder such as Sergio Busquets is currently deployed between the two central midfield players.
In order to fit four world-class attackers however, the most natural system to get them all in would involve having the central midfielders sit deeper and play more defensively behind a number 10 attacking midfielder. The main questions around this switch are centered around Busquets’ involvement in the side, since it’s not sure that he could cover the requisite ground to fulfill his defensive duties without two midfielders in front of him.
Therefore, the ideal Barcelona midfield with Suárez in the side consists of Frenkie de Jong next to either Ivan Rakitić or Arthur at the base of midfield, with Griezmann in front as the attacking midfielder. The Frenchman has flourished playing behind a true number nine, either as a secondary striker behind Diego Costa at Atlético Madrid or as a number 10 in the World Cup-winning French team. With Messi on the right, Suárez up top, and Neymar on the left, this solution reunites the vaunted MSN front three while also adding a world-class creative player behind them.
The other solution involves dropping the 32-year old Suárez to the bench, who has looked past his best in recent months. This way, Barça can keep the three-man midfield system with Busquets setting the tempo from deep. This situation would create a new front three with Messi on the right, Griezmann up top, and Neymar on the left.
While that sounds simple enough, Griezmann has never played alone up top as a true number nine, instead preferring to make runs off of a striker that can hold up the ball such as Costa or Olivier Giroud while also creating for his teammates. While he is a fantastic finisher, he has never been considered one of the world’s elite poachers, since he is more of a natural number 10, a role that does not currently exist at Barcelona.
Moreover, shifting an attacking player out of position has been one of the key issues of Coutinho’s time in Catalonia, who also prefers to play behind the striker as a 10, but has been forced out wide on the left to fit him into the Barcelona system. The main benefit of this system is the preservation of the three-man Barcelona midfield, where Busquets can sit deep with De Jong and one of Arthur and Rakitić in front of him for defensive cover.
I believe Valverde would be best suited to play with Suárez in the side, because I feel Barcelona will get the best version of Griezmann if he plays in his natural position, which is more valuable than Busquets’ impact in midfield. Messi and Neymar will undoubtedly be two of the world’s best players on either flank, and there’s no reason to believe Suárez can’t recover his best form with such a high level of attacking talent surrounding him. While defense might be the main issue with this setup, I firmly believe De Jong and Rakitić absolutely have the quality to settle in and cover the back four.
Therefore, it is clear that just as the transfer situation with both players has been complicated, the tactical and positional fit for Neymar and Griezmann at the Camp Nou is less than ideal. While Barcelona should absolutely do whatever is necessary to bring two superstars of world football to Catalonia, Valverde will undoubtedly need to prove his tactical acumen and flexibility in order to get the best out of one of the best attacking combinations in history.