Neymar’s return to Barcelona could be a good deal
Neymar has been linked with a return to Barcelona as his high-profile move to PSG hasn’t been what he expected.
It was a Round of 16 match in the 2016-17 Champions League season between two big guns of European football. FC Barcelona was trailing to Paris Saint-German by 3-5 on aggregate at the 87th minute of the final leg and the end of Champions League journey for FC Barcelona was almost certain. But the three goals scored in the last seven minutes carved the most impressive comeback in the books of Champions League history. The victory was inspired mainly by the heroics of Neymar who scored a free kick and a penalty during dying seconds of the match. This performance of Neymar had won many hearts at Camp Nou.
Neymar’s capabilities of dribbling, passing, direct free kicks, through balls and finishing never failed to impress the Catalans. But this popular figure at FC Barcelona became the victim to criticism when he infamously left Barcelona to his new club for a thumping 222 Million Euros in August 2017. The primary reason cited behind this transfer was predominantly to get away from Messi’s shadows and become a strong Ballon d’Or contender by leading his new club.
Since his exit from Barcelona, Neymar has been unsettled at his new club: Paris Saint-German. Therefore, in spite of the bitterness, between the player and the FC Barcelona board, Neymar’s return to the Spanish League has been speculated for a while.
If Neymar does return to Barcelona, it won’t be that bad and can be a win-win situation for all parties. Neymar was part of the deadly trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar during his stay at FC Barcelona from 2013-2017. The trio had scored a record goal tally of 131 goals in the 2015-2016 season as compared to their previous best of 122 goals in the 2014-2015 season. This was possible because of the friendships and synchronization Neymar had with other players. So even if Neymar returns to Barcelona, it might serve the club win another treble as the one won in the 2014-2015 season.
Barcelona has done decently in the forward department and has adapted well after Neymar’s exit. However, the club has not been able to purchase the perfect replacement for Neymar since his exit. Ousmane Dembele who was considered the probable replacement of Neymar has failed to impress the Barcelona boss since his debut. Ernesto Valverde did experiment with Rafinha over Dembele against Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the last two matches to aid ball retention. Though Rafinha performed well in these matches, the consistency that Neymar had could never be found in any other player.
According to Mundo Deportivo’s claims, it has been said that Neymar is desperate to make a reunion with his old buddies Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and has offered several times to rejoin the Catalan club at Camp Nou. Neymar was also found praising his former Argentine teammate during his interview in The Players’ Tribune.
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There are numerous financial challenges for Neymar’s return to the club since the board is in no position to pay even 200 Million Euros for the Brazilian International. This transfer isn’t impossible, according to the Independent, since Barcelona’s new Captain Lionel Messi is already batting for the former Barca man by convincing the board, the advantages of Neymar’s return to Camp Nou.