Opinion: 3 reasons why Barcelona should go for Neymar rather than Antoine Griezmann
Ever since Antoine Griezmann made the revelation that the 2018/2019 season was to be his last at Atletico Madrid, the rumor mills have been spinning over what his next club would be.
Unsurprisingly, Barcelona have emerged as his potential next destination, given that the Catalans have been long-term admirers of the French international and had a concrete bid for his services last summer turned down with Griezmann preferring to sign a contract extension with Los Colchoneros.
New reports suggest that Barcelona have cooled their interest in the World Cup winner. However, a move away from Spain could be on the cards as the man in question himself seemed to lay credence to this claim by reportedly stating that he could be set for a move away from La Liga.
Atletico Madrid chief Gil Marin has stated that Griezmann would play for Barcelona next season, but in contradiction to his claims, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has stated expressly that the Catalans are yet to make contact with Griezmann.
Neymar further stoked the embers of transfer speculation when he stated that he 'does not want to play there (Paris) any more' and that he wants to return to the home which he should never have left.
The Brazilian appeared to be sending a come-get-me plea to Barcelona ahead of what is gearing up to be a busy summer at Camp Nou.
With Barcelona seemingly torn between their pursuit of Griezmann and Neymar, it might e in their best interest to go for Neymar. In this piece, we shall be highlighting three reasons why Neymar would be more ideal for Barcelona than Antoine Griezmann.
#3 His excellent relationship with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
For three seasons at the Nou Camp, Neymar was one-third of the devastating Barcelona attacking trident affectionately termed 'MSN'.
Alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, Neymar ran riot over opposition defenses, scoring goals at will and laying a mark to be considered arguably the greatest attacking force in the history of the beautiful game.
In total, the trio scored 250 goals from 299 matches in all competitions across three seasons, while also registering a total of 116 assists helping Barcelona to seven trophies including a treble in their very first season together.
Beyond their great understanding on the field, the three men also have a very healthy one off it, with Lionel Messi once stating that there is a WhatsApp group created specifically for just the three of them.
Ever since Neymar departed Barcelona, the club has struggled to replace him effectively on the left flank of attack, spending millions to no avail and there is every chance that Griezmann might struggle to bond in with Messi and Suarez which would have not been the case with Neymar who would have been an instant hit picking up from where he left off.