The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world in general, and the football world is no exception. Leagues have been delayed, international competitions postponed and images have appeared with players going in for training with their faces covered in masks.
Among all these uncertainties, now there is a study by firm KPMG (as reported by Les Sports) that there is a 21.7% reduction in the value of Brazilian superstar Neymar, who is plying his trade for Paris Saint-Germain at the moment. The recent news comes amid the financial stringency that the clubs are undergoing because of the devastating situation in the whole world. There is speculation that the clubs would suffer massive loss financially this season, which could have a significant impact on their future plans.
Is it good news for Barcelona?
Barcelona have imminent plans to let go of a number of their players. That includes the likes of Coutinho, Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembélé. This certainly means that they would require to sign more than one replacements and they have already identified a few of them.
Lautaro Martínez, for one, is being heavily linked to Barcelona with the Catalan club already in advanced stage of talks for the Inter Milan player. But who better than Neymar to lead the lines for the Barcelona next season along with Messi, considering that their arch-rivals Real Madrid are targeting another PSG starlet Kylian Mbappé.
The interest of Neymar to make the move
Neymar, on his behalf, has rejected a huge offer to sign a contract extension with PSG making it clear to the club that he would want a return to Spain to his former club. Neymar has had the best years of his career in Barcelona, forming a lethal partnership with Messi and Suarez. The trio had wreaked havoc and won several trophies, including the treble in 2014-15. With Suarez on the verge of departure and Messi approaching 33, Neymar could see himself to be the future of the side.
The problem for Barcelona
The Spanish giants are certainly looking to offload a number of their players, but they would also have to face the same problem. Getting the right kind of money for the likes of Coutinho and Vidal would be difficult with no teams willing to pay the sort of transfer fee that Barcelona would like. Another problem for Quique Setién would be the ludicrous fee that the club had paid to bring in Dembele and recouping that money.
What Should Barcelona Do
In more realistic terms, PSG would probably not be unwilling to let go of Neymar and Mbappé in the same season, and if Barcelona can act faster than the Madrid club in their pursuit of Neymar, they would be able to have their man. Barcelona should be breaking the bank for Neymar as he would be the transfer that could give them the edge above others.
