Barcelona transfer news: 'I do not want Neymar back at Barcelona, I want Griezmann and defenders', says Blaugrana legend
What's the story?
Barcelona legend Lobo Carrasco does not agree with the idea of re-signing Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain, stating that he would rather have Antoine Griezmann and a bunch of defenders to strengthen the squad.
In case you didn't know...
Neymar has been heavily linked with a sensational return to Camp Nou since he made the switch to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Rumors were re-ignited when Nasser Al-Khelaifi expressed his discontentment with 'celebrity behavior' among his players, and warned that the door was open for those who disagree.
The Brazilian has long been reported to be unhappy with life at the Parc des Princes, and is keen on reuniting with former teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
One of the barriers between Neymar and the reunion is Griezmann, who announced that he would leave Atletico Madrid back in May and is now heavily tipped to start a new challenge.
The heart of the matter
Carrasco is not keen on bringing Neymar back to Camp Nou, insisting that the club should focus on strengthening other problem areas instead.
Speaking to El Chiringuito, the Blaugrana icon said:
"I do not want Neymar to come in. I want Griezmann, a center-back, a left-back, and a center-forward to come in. That's my road map and I would not change it, whether I'm [Josep Maria] Bartomeu, [Lionel] Messi, sports director or coach."
Carrasco, who spent 11 years at the Nou Camp, iterated on the key fact that with the possible signing of Neymar, the LaLiga champions would lose out on defensive reinforcements. He questioned:
"With the signing of Neymar, Barca would lose even more at the back. They were swept in Europe, they [Liverpool] got us 4-0, 3-0. If we have a further breakdown in defense, are we going to go from four to six goals?"
What's next?
It remains to be seen if Neymar will be playing in a Barcelona shirt next season, with his probable signing having met some stumbling blocks recently. Meanwhile, the Catalan giants take on Chelsea on 23 July in a friendly, as part of their pre-season tour.