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If not Neymar, then who? ask hapless Barcelona as mega deal breaks down

By Chiranjib Ghosh

Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar reacts at the end of the French Trophy of Champions football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Rennes (SRFC) at the Shenzhen Universiade stadium in Shenzhen on August 3, 2019. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar reacts at the end of the French Trophy of Champions football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Rennes (SRFC) at the Shenzhen Universiade stadium in Shenzhen on August 3, 2019. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Barcelona will not be signing Neymar this summer

This deadline day is not going to be holding too many surprise for the transfer buffs out there. Even though other clubs have been relatively inactive, Barcelona’s push to bring Neymar back was the big talking point. But that is not going to happen.

But this creates many problems for Barça. Firstly, there are no right-footed wingers in the squad other than the injury-prone Ousmane Dembélé. Moreover, Philippe Coutinho’s short-term replacements Rafinha and Carles Pérez haven’t been convincing enough.

While Carles Pérez is still young and impressed in pre-season, Rafinha should have been offloaded as soon as he recovered from his injury. But now, Barça are without a left winger who is good enough to warrant calling off a new signing.

Neymar would have been just the kind of upgrade the squad needed to have a feel of completion and balance. But with the club having failed to sign him, Ernesto Valverde will need to play Rafinha down the left whenever Dembélé is injured, which is quite often.

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But the larger question remains, what do Barça do in the January transfer window? If things work out properly, Luis Suárez will be able to produce top-notch performances and Antoine Griezmann can flit in and out of the left winger role.

But that will be problematic if the injury problems of both Dembélé and Suárez persist. In that case, Barça need to chalk out a strategy to sign an alternative to Neymar. The identity of that player still remains a mystery, but Barça do have a handful of options.

The most obvious option is Sadio Mané. He is skilful and pacy, with the kind of understanding of the game required to succeed at Barça. The Senegal international has the ability to shoot from outside the box, and combines well with full-backs down both flanks.

But it will be very hard to sign him. Liverpool let go of Philippe Coutinho after significant cajoling and an exorbitant fee, and the move did not work out so well after all. The Reds will be very highly reluctant to sell one of the best performers last season.

The other options include players like other high-profile players like Lorenzo Insigne and Heung min-Son, but they are not as good. The only other good fit for Barça would be Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus, who was amazing last season.

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Barça could reignite interest in Reus, who is also injury-prone. But the more sensible choice would be to go after Mané first.