Barcelona 2017/18

Why don't Barca sell Suarez instead? He could fetch them probably half of Neymar's fee, is 29 so he isn't that young anymore. His brand is and will never be as big as Messi or Neymar so it makes a lot of sense as they get a huge transfer fee and save a lot on his wages.

On the other hand, Neymar is only 25 and I always see him as the heir to Messi. It would be a huge loss to Barca if they sell Neymar no matter how you look at it as after Messi and Ronaldo, I consider him as the 3rd best player in the world not to mention his commercial brand is massive, he's the face of Brazil.

I'm sure if Barca puts Suarez up for sale now for £120 m, there's a number of clubs who would go for him and that's including us.
 
MullerUtd said:
Why don't Barca sell Suarez instead? He could fetch them probably half of Neymar's fee, is 29 so he isn't that young anymore. His brand is and will never be as big as Messi or Neymar so it makes a lot of sense as they get a huge transfer fee and save a lot on his wages.

On the other hand, Neymar is only 25 and I always see him as the heir to Messi. It would be a huge loss to Barca if they sell Neymar no matter how you look at it as after Messi and Ronaldo, I consider him as the 3rd best player in the world not to mention his commercial brand is massive, he's the face of Brazil.

I'm sure if Barca puts Suarez up for sale now for £120 m, there's a number of clubs who would go for him and that's including us.
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I highly doubt that. Suarez is a worldclass striker but no European club will pay 120m for him IMO. Who would go for him? Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal have all bought a new striker, Juve has Higuain/Dybala and PSG has Cavani as #1. Which other clubs have the money to buy Suarez for that fee?
 
MullerUtd said:
Why don't Barca sell Suarez instead? He could fetch them probably half of Neymar's fee, is 29 so he isn't that young anymore. His brand is and will never be as big as Messi or Neymar so it makes a lot of sense as they get a huge transfer fee and save a lot on his wages.

On the other hand, Neymar is only 25 and I always see him as the heir to Messi. It would be a huge loss to Barca if they sell Neymar no matter how you look at it as after Messi and Ronaldo, I consider him as the 3rd best player in the world not to mention his commercial brand is massive, he's the face of Brazil.

I'm sure if Barca puts Suarez up for sale now for £120 m, there's a number of clubs who would go for him and that's including us.
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Because they don't want to sell any of the three players? This isn't about what Barca want, it's about what Neymar and PSG want.
 
Their combination play and ability to work in the tight spaces is astonishing.

And with Neymar is there a better ball carrier around. His acceleration is crazy.
 
Barca's transfer business has been underwhelming for a while now and losing Neymar would be a big blow to there future prospects imo. Messi will eventually drop off his insane level and Neymar always seemed most likely to be there new talisman. Sure they will have 200m to spend but players like Neymar are irreplacable.
 
I'm surprised they don't move for Sanchez. Would get him on the cheap and he would be an effective player in the front 3. Would get more game time than before which is the reason he left.
 
Suddenly Mbappe looks an ideal target for them, he can operate on that left wing too and cut inside with his right foot.
 
If they invest the Neymar money as badly as they've invested €200m over the past 2/3 years, then we're witnessing a sinking ship.
 
Madrid are enjoying what's happening now but if Barca sign Mbappe with their new cash inflow, I wonder how Madrid would react :lol: I can't wait for the domino effect of Neymar's transfer. I'm expecting plenty more surprises till the end of the window.
 
GDaly95 said:
If they invest the Neymar money as badly as they've invested €200m over the past 2/3 years, then we're witnessing a sinking ship.
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Kinda what I was thinking but not as dramatic. I have little faith in Barcelona reinvesting wisely
 
They'd probably be best of pocketing the money for now to stabilise their allegedly shaky finances. I don't see any of their targets (Dembele, Dybala, Coutinho) signing this summer.

Knowing them, they will probably do the footballing equivalent of blowing it all on hookers and coke. They are heading for a fall sharply. All their key players are over 30. All the players they've brought in in recent years are distinctly less impressive than the old guard. They've got nothing to build on right now. 2-3 years from now, Busquets, Suarez, Messi, Pique, Mascherano and Alba (even lesser lights like Rakitic and Turan) will all have dropped off their peak. Iniesta already has.

I think they are heading for another Gaspart era. A lot of their signings in recent years have the same lookas back then (Overmars, Petit, Dutruel, Alfonso, Lopez, de la Peña, Saviola, Rochemback, Geovanni, Christanval, Bonano, Coco, Riquelme, Sorín, Mendieta).
 
Let's assume they will get none of dembele, coutinho or dybala.

Realistically, who do they sign instead?
 
B20 said:
Let's assume they will get none of dembele, coutinho or dybala.

Realistically, who do they sign instead?
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Anyone is a downgrade from Neymar and I don't think there are any elite level players available. Tough times unless they have some La Masia player ready to take the position.
 
They genuinely should try for Sanchez again. Would be perfect for their formation.

Btw Barcelona fans are also scared that some team might also try for Umtiti who has a release clause of 60m Euros.
 
That £200m won't actually go that far unless their is some top talent playing at the lower La Liga clubs as we know that Barca can just pillage them.

After Close to a decade of being pretty much in their own universe, I think you are going to see Barca come back down to earth.

Them and Real were extremely effective at gobbling up the top talent in the world between 09-13 but now they will face much, much stiffer competition for the coming stars.

Back then United were cheap, City had no shot and PSG were nobodies.
 
TheGame said:
I'm surprised they don't move for Sanchez. Would get him on the cheap and he would be an effective player in the front 3. Would get more game time than before which is the reason he left.
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What?

Sanchez was a regular for Barca. Made 25,29 and 34 league starts. He had a few muscle injuries in that time too.

They are not resigning him for more than they sold him.
 
B20 said:
Let's assume they will get none of dembele, coutinho or dybala.

Realistically, who do they sign instead?
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Imo they need to fix their midfield more then their attavk anyway. Suarez and messi together can hammer most teams, a proper midfield though will go a long way to giving them control over games again, as they just havent had that in a couple of years.
 
I might very well be selling him a disservice, but I really don't think Neymar leaving will hit them that hard. Yes, whoever they sign to replace him will be a downgrade on paper but in recent seasons they have been way to reliant on their front three, both in terms of goal scoring and creating chances. At least now, they could be presented the opportunity to go back to basics with their ball and midfield dominance if they reinvest the money into someone ala Veratti or Coutinho instead of being attack-heavy which you can argue they have been.

Their main worries are that and their star players are aging, but Messi and Suarez will still be sensational for the next few years at the very least.
 
Glanville95 said:
I might very well be selling him a disservice, but I really don't think Neymar leaving will hit them that hard. Yes, whoever they sign to replace him will be a downgrade on paper but in recent seasons they have been way to reliant on their front three, both in terms of goal scoring and creating chances. At least now, they could be presented the opportunity to go back to basics with their ball and midfield dominance if they reinvest the money into someone ala Veratti or Coutinho instead of being attack-heavy which you can argue they have been.

Their main worries are that and their star players are aging, but Messi and Suarez will still be sensational for the next few years at the very least.
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Their biggest issues remain their midfield and defence so the sale of Neymar could have been offset had those parts of the team been in great shape. As things stand their defence and midfield are shakey and on top of that to lose a future best player in the world, is a big deal.

It's not all bad. If they spend go for the right players like Dembele in attack, maybe Coutinho as an attacking midfielder, and a CB, they could be dominant again.
 
abhayselvan said:
Madrid are enjoying what's happening now but if Barca sign Mbappe with their new cash inflow, I wonder how Madrid would react :lol: I can't wait for the domino effect of Neymar's transfer. I'm expecting plenty more surprises till the end of the window.
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I don't think Mbappe would work well with Barcelona, he's made for counter-attack football and not possession, he will be a waste on that team but going back in time to Figo's sale then I think that's what they are going to do....waste money.
 
barros said:
I don't think Mbappe would work well with Barcelona, he's made for counter-attack football and not possession, he will be a waste on that team but going back in time to Figo's sale then I think that's what they are going to do....waste money.
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What's their new manager like? I don't know anything about him but under Enrique they seemed to be much more focused on fast transitions. Compared to the years of Xavi they don't seem to be that possession hungry anymore. That being said I think Mbappé really wouldn't be the best fit for them either. Dembele or Coutinho to me at least look much more like "typcial" Barca players, maybe even Dybala to an extend.
 
NoLogo said:
What's their new manager like? I don't know anything about him but under Enrique they seemed to be much more focused on fast transitions. Compared to the years of Xavi they don't seem to be that possession hungry anymore. That being said I think Mbappé really wouldn't be the best fit for them either. Dembele or Coutinho to me at least look much more like "typcial" Barca players, maybe even Dybala to an extend.
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Coutinho would be perfect for Barca and Dybala would be ok, saw him a few times and didn't impress me at all.
 
abhayselvan said:
Madrid are enjoying what's happening now but if Barca sign Mbappe with their new cash inflow, I wonder how Madrid would react :lol: I can't wait for the domino effect of Neymar's transfer. I'm expecting plenty more surprises till the end of the window.
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Mbappe is a big time Real Madrid fan, even if it guarantees nothing in football.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
Their biggest issues remain their midfield and defence so the sale of Neymar could have been offset had those parts of the team been in great shape. As things stand their defence and midfield are shakey and on top of that to lose a future best player in the world, is a big deal.

It's not all bad. If they spend go for the right players like Dembele in attack, maybe Coutinho as an attacking midfielder, and a CB, they could be dominant again.
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Defense is not a problem imo. Pique - Umtiti is a great CB pair, on the same level with Ramos and Varane. Alba when on form is a great fullback, only Marcelo is a level above. Semedo is a top signing at RB, probably the best the market had to offer. The midfield needs improvement but has apparently been re-imagined by Valverde, this was visible in the US tour. A lot of what went wrong last year in this area of the pitch was tactical, down to Lucho and his chaotic decision, as well as the non-Barca style he employed. The first signs are great under Valverde. We dominated Juventus, United and Madrid in midfield in the first 3 games.

I think many people have wrongly put our poor year down to personnel, rather than the poor work from the manager. Busquets is the best DM, Rakitic is a great CM as well and Roberto could be a dark horse this season. Only question is Iniesta's role in the team, if he can be at an optimum level for the whole season or not. Alena is also a great talent. There is also Gomes who also suffered a lot from being used badly by the manager.

After the first 2-3 months of the season we will see which are the clear weak signs of Barca, and which were fixed by simply appointing a superior manager, which Valverde is to Lucho.
 
serghei said:
Defense is not a problem imo. Pique - Umtiti is a great CB pair, on the same level with Ramos and Varane. Alba when on form is a great fullback, only Marcelo is a level above. Semedo is a top signing at RB, probably the best the market had to offer. The midfield needs improvement but has apparently been re-imagined by Valverde, this was visible in the US tour. A lot of what went wrong last year in this area of the pitch was tactical, down to Lucho and his chaotic decision, as well as the non-Barca style he employed. The first signs are great under Valverde. We dominated Juventus, United and Madrid in midfield in the first 3 games.

I think many people have wrongly put our poor year down to personnel, rather than poor work from the manager. Busquets is the best DM, Rakitic is a great CM as well and Roberto could be a dark horse this season. Only question is Iniesta's role in the team, if he can be at an optimum level for the whole season or not. Alena is also a great talent. There is also Gomes who also suffered a lot from being used badly by the manager.

After the first 2-3 months in the season we will see which are the clear weak signs of Barca, and which were fixed by simply appointing a superior manager, which Valverde is to Lucho.
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How was Gomes badly used?
 
VorZakone said:
How was Gomes badly used?
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Well, he played something like 3-4 positions, sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right, as DM or even as RB. And even though he was low on confidence, he was used in some of the hardest away games.

prath92 said:
This is the Barca version of lvg at united excuse. Any player who didn't play well is poor because of the managers tactics and nothing else
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Not what I said. I said he also suffered from being badly used by the manager. That means there are other reasons why he suffered, in addition to the one I mentioned.
 
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Read they are after Coutinho for the midfield (Valverde wants him to replace Iniesta in the future) and Dybala, Dembele and Mbappe for the attack. Can't see them going for Griezmann. First, Atletico can't sell him now they can't even buy. Second, he doesn't suit their 4-3-3 formation.
 
I think the big question is who they will replace him with. I have no idea. What names are they talking about???? Dele Ali??
 
I really want this season to be the complete demise of Barcelona. Tiki Taka has been dead for a while but disposing of its corpse is what I really want to see. Highly boring football club at their peak.
 
Good times for Barsa now.I would have preferred Neymar at Barcelona.
Nothing better than an expensive star that doesn't believe in the project.
The other day during el clásico in Miami the TV reporter was asking some Barsa fans and Dybala is definitely the favorite.
For what I have seen among culé friends they hardly know Coutinho so they don't know how to rate this transfer.I hardly know him too so because of this I find 100m€ really expensive.
It would be good for them to get rid of Rafinha and Arda for a decent price.
 
Bojan11 said:
What?

Sanchez was a regular for Barca. Made 25,29 and 34 league starts. He had a few muscle injuries in that time too.

They are not resigning him for more than they sold him.
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He left because he was worried about getting a regular starting spot especially with them signing Neymar. The transfer market is different to what it was then. No player would have been sold for £200m back then. In the latest transfer market, Sanchez would be a steal.
 
So, what would you guys do now that's official?

Personally, I wouldn't replace Ney unless the best option is viable (and that would be Dybala for me), we've been yearning for an overhaul of our midfield since the Xavi-Iniesta days were done, I would take this season to give a fair chance to a lot of our players (Denis, Rafinha, Deulo, Arda, Gomes) and act in the next summer.

So far, we have players to put in that LW position (Denis, Rafinha and Arda had their best moments there in the last seasons, Iniesta played a lof of his career there too) so the 433 could transition towards those guys, even Deulofeu as "le cut inside" man.

Beyond that, this opens the window for more tactical variations now that we don't have a 3rd player that needs 90' per game to be happy, 4-4-2 could be an option with either Messi behind Suarez or Alcacer-Suarez (I'm not fond of this idea, tho), my choice and what I've been asking for some months would be a "merge" into 433/451, with double DM (Busquets and either Rakitic/Gomes), 3 guys ahead of them (Iniesta/Denis/Rafinha, Messi and Deulofeu/Arda/Rafinha) with Suarez as our 9.

I doubt we're going to see any of that, probably going to keep trying to mikl the 433 with Messi as our RW, an unbalanced midfield, Iniesta not getting enough minutes to renew (or getting them and eating playing time from other players) and some sort of 110M for Coutinho deal to swap for Neymar
 
Signing Mbappe would help a lot and it would hurt Madrid at the same time. More than worrying about the present Barça should be worrying and preparing the next 10 years. Madrid seem to have all the young talent they'll need while Barça's stars are nearly all in their 30s.
 
Dybala won't happen this summer, but perhaps next and for a massive fee. Coutinho, also I sort of see the same. Not sure who's realistically attainable this summer that is of significant quality if they are to keep the same shape.
 
Ishdalar said:
So, what would you guys do now that's official?

Personally, I wouldn't replace Ney unless the best option is viable (and that would be Dybala for me), we've been yearning for an overhaul of our midfield since the Xavi-Iniesta days were done, I would take this season to give a fair chance to a lot of our players (Denis, Rafinha, Deulo, Arda, Gomes) and act in the next summer.

So far, we have players to put in that LW position (Denis, Rafinha and Arda had their best moments there in the last seasons, Iniesta played a lof of his career there too) so the 433 could transition towards those guys, even Deulofeu as "le cut inside" man.

Beyond that, this opens the window for more tactical variations now that we don't have a 3rd player that needs 90' per game to be happy, 4-4-2 could be an option with either Messi behind Suarez or Alcacer-Suarez (I'm not fond of this idea, tho), my choice and what I've been asking for some months would be a "merge" into 433/451, with double DM (Busquets and either Rakitic/Gomes), 3 guys ahead of them (Iniesta/Denis/Rafinha, Messi and Deulofeu/Arda/Rafinha) with Suarez as our 9.

I doubt we're going to see any of that, probably going to keep trying to mikl the 433 with Messi as our RW, an unbalanced midfield, Iniesta not getting enough minutes to renew (or getting them and eating playing time from other players) and some sort of 110M for Coutinho deal to swap for Neymar
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I'd make a system change.

Put Messi behind Suarez and sign a left sided and a right sided attacker.

Rakitic-Busquets double pivot.
 
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