According to Mundo Deportivo, as cited by The Daily Star, Barcelona are pondering upon a move for their former ace Neymar. The Brazilian captain is currently plying his trade at Paris Saint Germain, having spent most of the last season on the sidelines due to a serious injury.
The Blaugrana had a decent season on the domestic front and defended their La Liga crown successfully. However, they were beaten by Valencia in the final of the Copa Del Rey. Ernesto Valverde’s men were also knocked out by Liverpool in dramatic style in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League as the Reds bounced back from a 3-goal deficit in the first leg to win the contest by 3-4 in the second leg.
As far as the Barcelona players are concerned, no one other than Lionel Messi has been able to perform as per expectations. While Philippe Coutinho has had a disappointing season, Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez have also not been able to take their chances. This has left Valverde with little choice as he might attempt to bring the charismatic Brazilian back to Nou Camp this summer.
Barcelona’s attacking woes
After Neymar left for PSG, Barcelona brought in Dembele to fill in for the influential winger. Later on, they also brought Coutinho in from Liverpool to add to their attacking strength. However, neither player was able to perform consistently since their arrival. They have also been prone to injuries that have prevented them from making regular appearances for the Catalan club. The situation has been so dire that Barcelona had to bring in someone like Kevin Prince-Boateng as a backup for the duo.
Why Neymar?
Let’s have a look at the former Blaugrana superstar’s stats while he was at Barcelona. The 27-year-old winger made a total of 186 appearances for the La Liga giants. He notched up 105 goals while dishing out 76 assists. On the other hand, his compatriot, Coutinho, who was brought in as a viable replacement for Neymar, has scored only 21 goals while assisting his teammates 11 times in 76 appearances so far.
According to the stats, Neymar’s success rate at Nou Camp is 56%, while Coutinho stands at a meagre 27%. So it is evident that there is a gulf in class between the two when it comes to playing for the Blaugrana.
Perfect fit for Valverde’s plans
After Neymar’s arrival at the Catalan club, his partnership with talisman Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez made the Barcelona attack one of the fiercest in Europe. His departure, undoubtedly, made the frontline significantly weak. It is evident from their recent performances, especially in the European front, that there is an ardent need of bringing in immediate reinforcements to strengthen the attack. As per the report, Neymar himself is far from content with the lack of European success at the Ligue 1 club and might be on his way out of Parc Des Princes this summer.
If Barcelona can capitalise on this opportunity and land their former attacker next summer, a possible reunion of the Brazilian skipper with the likes of Messi and Suarez might once again form the fearsome trident that used to terrorise the opposition defenders. Ernesto Valverde has been heavily criticised for the poor performance of his side in the Champions League.
The inclusion of Neymar could also help in restoring the stability of the side and could very well be the last roll of dice for Valverde in a bid to save his job at Nou Camp.
