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Barcelona: Is a Philippe Coutinho-Neymar swap deal possible?

By Chiranjib Ghosh

(EDITORS NOTE: the image has been converted to black and white) Philippe Coutinho of FC Barcelona reacts during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club de Bilbao at Camp Nou on September 29, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain (Photo by David Aliaga/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(EDITORS NOTE: the image has been converted to black and white) Philippe Coutinho of FC Barcelona reacts during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club de Bilbao at Camp Nou on September 29, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain (Photo by David Aliaga/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /
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Barcelona assistant Jon Aspiazu has admitted that Coutinho is not at his best

The Philippe Coutinho of today is not the player Barcelona paid €160 million for. The 26-year Brazil international is under a lot of pressure, and his creativity has been limited in recent times. His fall from grace has been parallel to the rise of Ousmane Dembélé.

"Ernesto Valverde’s assistant Jon Aspiazu, said, “Coutinho is not at the level of last season.”"

Simultaneously, Neymar has been reportedly asking for a return to Barcelona. At the beginning of Valverde’s tenure as head coach, the high-profile Brazilian forward joined Paris Saint-Germain in a €222 million deal, in order to secure a better contract with higher wages.

He was widely criticised for putting money over football, due to his move to a league with less competitiveness. But now, Neymar is seeking an opportunity to make up for his mistake. He has obviously realised that PSG is no place for real sportspersons.

So, that leaves Barça with an underperforming superstar and a former player who wants to return to the club. The management should make full use of this opportunity, and try to negotiate a swap deal with Paris Saint-Germain.

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Neymar and Philippe Coutinho are of the same age, and Coutinho was signed as a replacement for his compatriot. They occupy the same position. It might be argued that Neymar is a better player than Coutinho, but the difference is not one that is noticeable.

It would be also be economically sensible. Neymar left the club for €222 million, and his replacement was brought in for €160 million. If Neymar returns with no involvement of money whatsoever, it leaves the club €82 million in the green.

Neymar’s return would significantly reduce Ousmane Dembélé’s playing time initially, but the Brazilian superstar can also play as a centre-forward. In fact, he can be highly effective as the lone striker. So, his signing could solve the problem posed by Munir’s departure too.

In fact, Neymar could succeed Luis Suárez at the top without angering Leo Messi. Messi does not want Suárez to be replaced in the near future due to his camaraderie with the Uruguay international. But the Argentine maestro also has excellent rapport with Neymar.

Next. Barça set to let go of Munir in January itself. dark

In this way, Dembélé can make the left winger position his own, with Messi on the right and Neymar down the middle. It would create a new attacking trident, the MDN. This presents an exciting prospect for Barcelona, and the club should explore this avenue further.