Barcelona Aren’t In A Position to Gamble On Neymar: What Bringing Neymar Back Could Cost Barca

I know I literally just wrote a piece about Neymar but how can you ignore what's going on surrounding the Brazilian star? After making an offer that I believed to be too good to be true, Barcelona followed it up with an even better offer. Why it looks like Paris St. Germain are in for a steal of a lifetime, Barcelona is gambling big-time. A gamble that could pay off or a gamble that could see the club come crashing down.

According to Business Insider, Barcelona has offered $115 million along with two of any of these six players in return for Neymar

• Coutinho

• Dembele

• Malcom

• Umtiti

• Rakitic

• Semedo

I don't see how PSG could pass up on such an offer. Surely Barca has played its hand entirely. But I'll give them a bit of praise. The club is short of money. The recent acquisition of Antoine Griezmann has stretched the club thin and they've had to take several loans out to pay the Frenchman. They simply cannot meet PSG's asking price for Neymar and by throwing players into the mix, it will drive his price down significantly. Barca bought Griezmann for $134 million and if you throw in Frenkie De Jong for $84 million, Barca spent quite a lot.

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Don't get me wrong I think Barca is insane to seek out Neymar's services. He seems to be a bit of a plague and I'm not going to get into it because I literally just wrote about it. Instead, I'm going to focus on what it means for Barcelona.

After two agonizing defeats in Champions League play, Barca needed a boost. Those boosts came in this summer with Griezmann and De Jong joining the club. Both world-class talents that can help the club win now. Something the club must focus on considering star-man Lionel Messi is 32.

Do I hate that Antonie Griezmann is on Barcelona? Yes. Why? Because he's a star and now he's going to be in Messi's shadow. Nonetheless, he'll shine at Barca, just not like he did at Atletico Madrid. That was his team and he was their star. Now, he'll have to settle to being second fiddle, something I think he cares little for which speaks volumes for his character. Griezmann gave his all for Atletico and he came so close to Champions League glory. Now, with a stronger supporting cast, his dream of hoisting the Champions League trophy just became much more real.

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I feel like Griezmann's success hinges on Coutinho staying at Barca. Something that will not happen if Neymar returns. Like I said in my previous piece, the trio of Griezmann, Coutinho, and Messi would be a deadly attacking trio in the midfield. Playing under Luis Suarez, the three stars are capable of switching at will making them a nightmare matchup for any defense

Now suppose Coutinho leaves, Who will play in the #10 role? Perhaps Griezmann could considering he just won a World Cup with France playing that same position. Regardless, I think he'd be better served with Coutinho in that role because I think it suits him more. Griezmann can be a facilitator if called upon but if Coutinho is still at Barca, Griezmann should play on the left-hand side.

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Remember when Liverpool blew Barcelona out of the water last year? Yeah, Barca had three guys on the field under the age of 30. Now, they're looking to offload young talent to bring back a player that once was invaluable to the club. Why is this a gamble? Here's why.

Suppose Neymar pulls the same stunts he did at PSG. An abundance of injuries with additional off the field problems not including a very real accusation of rape. Is he worth offloading players like Dembele and Coutinho for? Yes, both players haven't lived up to expectations of late but if you're going to deal them why not deal them for other players? Players that you know would definitely benefit your squad right off the bat. 

Also, with Messi being 32, if the gamble on Neymar proves to be a costly one, revamping the club in time to mount a run in which Messi is still firing on all cylinders may be close to impossible. And that my friends, is something I would not mess with. Messi is a god-send and we will most likely never see a player of his caliber ever again. Barca must tread lightly. Aren't De Jong and Griezmann enough to aid him?

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So is Barca in a good spot right now? Absolutely. Suppose Neymar doesn't rejoin Barca, Coutinho will be playing alongside Griezmann and Messi. Two of the world's most talented players. That my friends is a recipe for success, especially when you throw Luis Suarez in the mix (god I hate him though). Barca must trust in what the squad they have. With so many players on the wrong side of 30, their young talent is much more important than they think.