Barcelona are prepared to let two first-team stars go for Neymar
By Kian Long
Barcelona are now seriously stepping up their pursuit of Neymar…
With the transfer window soon to be drawing to a close, expect to hear plenty more of Neymar’s name. The Brazilian winger is a topic of discussion between Paris Saint-Germain and his old club, Barcelona. The question is, will he make the move back to Catalunya in time?
ESPN is reporting that Barcelona are prepared to submit their first offer. This offer will include two first-team players in Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic with an additional £93m cash sum. This is a bold, bold statement from Barcelona, but would accepting this offer be worthwhile for PSG?
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Well, the short answer is yes. The club’s officials are known advocates of Philippe Coutinho and they owe much of their success in recent years to their Brazilian core. Also, given that they recently lost Adrien Rabiot, Giovani Lo Celso and Grzegorz Krychowiak, they would be open to bulking up their midfield again.
Ivan Rakitic was the cult hero in Barcelona’s La Liga success last time out. He appeared in 34 league matches, with only five of those coming from the bench. He showed immense versatility as ever, although he did get forward more often. His passing is superb so Thomas Tuchel could easily instruct him to dictate play in the midfield third.
Coutinho, on the other hand, would take Neymar’s role in the final third. He would bring the ball forward with urgency and always have an eye for the right pass. He is incisive when it comes to creating, therefore he would benefit from the runs of Kylian Mbappe. Although, it mustn’t be forgotten that he is more than able to take on the shot himself.
Barcelona would welcome Neymar back with open arms. Especially now that they have signed Antoine Griezmann, his arrival would make their attack the most fearsome in world football. There would be competition for places but one thing’s for sure, his skill and locomotion would stand Barcelona on a good front for European glory once more.
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Do you think Barcelona will re-sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain this summer?