Barcelona have ruled out Neymar signing for this summer as Lautaro Martinez’s transfer takes priority as club looks elsewhere for an alternative.
There is no doubt that Barcelona and Neymar are both planning a reunion as multiple attempts have been made with Paris Saint-Germain to negotiate an exit. The French side were initially demanding a high fee but with the current economic crisis faced by clubs around the world due to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have now opted for a player exchange deal instead.
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Barca are ready to offer their French internationals as PSG are known to be interested in acquiring french footballers. The players included were Samuel Umtiti, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann, but the Parisians have rejected them all as they are not interested in their services.
The Catalan giants are heavily linked with Argentine, Lautaro Martinez, with many reports claiming a deal is close to being finalized. Recent reports confirmed that Inter Milan have ongoing negotiations concerning a swap between several Barca players for the services of the striker. The Spanish side are in desperate need of a new striker as Luis Suarez at 33 years of age is nearing his retirement.
The recent signing of Martin Braithwaite was to give Suarez the support he needed to go through a season uninjured, as a recent injury to the Uruguayan had left Barca without a proper no.9. The mistake Blaugrana soon realized is that Braithwaite is also not a proper striker which has prompted a priority hunt for the signing of Suarez’s successor this summer.
Due to this reason, Barca have now reportedly ruled out the signing of the Brazilian superstar as they will be unable to provide any fee this summer due to the financial situation of the club. Moreover, PSG are rejecting the players that are being offered in exchange resulting in negotiations being failed.
Neymar’s agent recently confirmed that he does not see the Brazilian international leaving this summer transfer window which raises to the question, who will be his replacement at the Nou Camp. Many are speculating that the Catalan giants will opt for a cheaper alternative instead, but here are 4 existing players that can easily fill the role.
Francisco Trincão
The Portuguese international was signed in January after Barca paid 31 million euros to the Portuguese side, Braga. Trincao is naturally an attacking midfielder but his versatility helps him adapt to the team’s needs. At 20 years of age, Francisco has plenty of time to develop into a future star for Blaugrana.
The club are excited about his arrival but are also looking into the option of loaning the youngster to continue his development elsewhere as he would require a significant amount of playing time to improve, which is not easily attainable at Barca. Braga President, Antonio Salvador, has given his blessings to the talented youngster and believes that he is capable of defining a decade with the Catalan giants. Trincao has signed a 5-year contract with an outrageous release clause of 500 million euros.
Álex Collado
Collado has been heavily favored to soon be promoted to the first-team on a regular basis after already managing 55 appearances with the B team. The 20-year-old has scored 10 goals and has provided 8 assists in his time with the youth squad. Alex joined Blaugrana in 2009 after leaving local rivals Espanyol.
He made his senior appearance in April of 2019 when he played in the left-wing position for 84 minutes in a match against Celta Vigo, which Barca regrettably lost 2-0. The youngster, however, did have a fantastic performance during the 2020 pre-season friendlies. He started against both Vissel Kobe and Chelsea while also getting 11 minutes in the match against Arsenal. Just like Trincao, Collado is also a versatile player, naturally a left-winger but was seen as a defensive midfielder in the match against Vissel Kobe.
Ousmane Dembélé
Dembele has truly struggled at Barca with many suggesting that the reason behind his troubles is the fact that he was too good at such a young age. The excitement around Dembele has been enormous ever since his arrival in 2017 at the mere age of 20. It is this high expectation along with many other factors such as a poor training regiment that has caused a long list of injuries surrounding the player. His explosive nature similar to that of Fati requires a different training approach that caters to his needs, the lack of which has caused multiple injuries that have overshadowed the 23-year-old’s time at the Nou Camp.
Recent reports suggested that the Spanish giants will not be placing him on the transfer list despite his poor work ethic and seriousness when it comes to his recovery. Other reports, however, do claim that they might be persuaded if the right offers do come. His future remains uncertain but currently the French international is recovering from his injuries as Barca continues to hope to see their 125 million euro investment pay off.
Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati has been crowned as the future superstar of the club after his performances in the absence of Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez due to their respective injuries. At a mere age of 17, Fati has 24 appearances for the first-team, scoring 5 goals and providing one assist during that time. But it is Fati’s explosive nature that has caught the attention of world football with multiple European giants take notice of this talented teen.
He set a Champions League record against Inter Milan, scoring just a few minutes after coming on to the field as a substitute, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the competition, at the age of 17 years and 40 days. Many are backing Fati to break more records in the near future in a similar fashion as the past La Masia graduates like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.
Should Barca use one of these players instead of opting for Neymar or an alternative signing?