LaLiga: Losing Neymar could be the best thing to happen to Barcelona

Christopher Moltisanti was a key member of Tony Soprano’s crew. As Tony’s nephew he rose through the ranks to become captain and was seen by the boss as the man to take over from him one day. Tony invested time in the man, passed on wisdom and gave him the opportunity to avenge his father.

The world was seemingly at Christopher’s feet but he repeatedly let himself and the crew down. A combination of drugs and a lack of self-confidence saw Tony eventually lose faith in his nephew. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So if Barcelona part ways with Neymar, it might not be the worst thing in the world either.

Talented yet tainted

Neymar is wonderful footballer. Supremely talented, a joy to watch and one of the few players who can make you get out of your seat in a heartbeat. In a time where pace and power are the norm, flair and trickery have taken a back step. Neymar is different though. Arguably becoming the first Brazilian since Ronaldinho to mix entertainment with an end product. They are a rare breed, almost extinct, but they also bring negativity everywhere they go.

The fun, smile on your face image the game is played in only fuels the ego and the feeling of self-worth. It’s as if they promote themselves to a demi-god status of believing they are above the common man, the mere mortals they play against. The praise, fame and love which comes with being a great entertainer is difficult to balance out correctly. The rules don’t apply to them.

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Yet there comes a point when the baggage, the negativity and the unprofessionalism no longer outweighs the talent the person possesses. Ronaldinho was one of the most gifted footballers in history but his time at the very top was criminally short. The playboy lifestyle, the fun side of things, was too much to turn down. It’s about enjoying yourself to the extreme in every situation but essentially you are burning the candle at both ends.

These types of players, Ronaldinho and Neymar, are irreplaceable but you can’t allow one rotten apple to spoil the barrel. That isn’t to say the choices they make and the company they keep are wrong, each to their own after all, but over time even your closest allies become tired of the same routine. The name on the front of the shirt is more important than any on the back of it.

Neymar could never be the ‘new Messi’

Neymar has constantly spoken about Lionel Messi being a key reason behind him joining Barcelona and later staying at the club. “He (Messi) helped me a lot. The best player in the world came and said to me, “Relax, everything will fall into place, just play your game.” It served me well.” The admiration was clear to see, like a fan talking about their favourite player. “You’re always scared to talk with your idol but he helped me relax. We have an incredible relationship, we’re friends, and that helps out on the pitch.”

Yet in terms of personality the two couldn’t be further apart. Messi shies away from the limelight, the celebrity lifestyle and the public eye in general when he isn’t on the football pitch. Neymar, perhaps because he comes from a different generation, is the complete opposite. Celebrity friends, active on social media and loves all the attention. The type of guy who’ll use the sentence: “Do you know who I am?” to get what he wants.

The club gave Neymar permission to miss crucial league game

Barcelona allowed Neymar to miss certain games so he could go and celebrate his sister’s birthday. Not just once but in each of the four seasons the Brazilian has spent at the club. Sometimes through conveniently timed suspensions, another through ‘injury’ and once because he arrived late from a trip to Brazil. Last season he missed Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Deportivo. If he played, and Barcelona had won, they’d have finished level on points with Real Madrid and won the title due to their superior head-to-head record. Fine margins, eh?

The sale of Neymar brings about with it a lot of negative stigma. Does it demonstrate how poorly the club has – and is – being run that one of their star players is happy to leave? Is Neymar right to question where the club is heading and will his decision be justified should he win a Ballon d’Or in the next year or two? How must Ernesto Valverde feel months into the job having to deal with all this fallout?

A genuine chance to rebuild the club and ‘La Masia’

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise though. Barcelona’s finances are a mess, everyone knows this. In recent years we’ve seen the club, famous around the world for producing fantastic youngsters, turn to big money signings as opposed to promoting from within. The ‘B’ team were relegated, many of its stars sent out on loan and other promising youngsters saw it as a more viable option to leave in order to get regular football. And in a way, it all started with the Neymar deal – which the club is still paying for.

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Spending exorbitant fees on players isn’t what older fans associate with Barcelona. They want ‘La Masia’ products in their team, players who would do anything to wear the shirt, players who respect the history and legacy at the club. The likes of Sergi Samper, Carles Aleña and Sergi Roberto are the present and future of the team.

This is furthered emphasised when you see Barcelona re-sign Denis Suarez and Gerard Deulofeu, whilst also targeting Hector Bellerin. Why didn’t they get a chance in the first place?

There’s a bond between La Masia and the fan base, something which can’t be bought. Unfortunately the gap between the kids and the first team grew far too large but it can be fixed in time.

They must reinvest the Neymar money into the squad

In the short-term, because of previous mistakes, Barcelona will need to spend though – but they must do it wisely. They haven’t signed bad players, far from it, but they are guilty of perhaps not signing the right ones for the team. The previously mentioned finances have made it difficult to manoeuvre well in the market coupled with major pay rises for key members of the team. A cash injection essentially gives Barcelona another chance at doing it right.

It won’t be easy to get value for money in the current climate as average players are going for €40m-€50m. This means the better ones are all pushing €100m or more. The pursuit of Philippe Coutinho is proving difficult – and expensive – so they might need to look elsewhere. Perhaps last summer, instead of signing Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer, Coutinho would’ve been the smarter choice.

However there is work to do throughout the squad which is, in football terms, old. More so when you compare it to the one at Zinedine Zidane’s disposal. The fact they couldn’t tempt Dani Ceballos to join, when his route to the first team would be easier at Barcelona, is a concern. The club is still a huge pull though and one which most players would love to play for. Losing Neymar wouldn’t change that.

Fix the midfield and buy a long-term solution at left wing

€222m is a considerable amount of money but in thia market only allows you to sign two world class players. For this reason it’s imperative that Barcelona spend this lifeline correctly and strengthen the squad in key areas. Ligue 1 stars Jean Michael Seri and Kylian Mbappe would take up a large chunk of the money available to them but they’d undoubtedly make an impact. And, at the same time, not close the door on youngsters getting valuable minutes either.

It’s an important window for Barcelona but also for Robert Fernandez. The director of football’s track record is unspectacular since he joined in 2015. He’s no Monchi that’s for sure. Robert talks a good game but needs to start delivering. Of the players he’s brought in only Samuel Umtiti can be considered a genuine success at this point which simply isn’t good enough.

He promised there would be ‘big-name signings’ this summer but is yet to produce the goods. With Neymar’s impending sale he can’t hide behind balancing the books as an excuse anymore. If he fails yet again then he should follow Neymar out of the door.

This is a huge chance for Barcelona to right a lot of recent mistakes. Failure to do so could cause irreparable damage to both the short and long term success of the club. Tony Soprano saw it as the right time to ‘remove’ Moltisanti from the equation for the greater good of the family. Neymar, despite his worth, is a problem Barcelona no longer need and should be put out of his misery. Get it wrong though and their empire could come crashing down with their main ‘gang’ rivals ready to deal the fatal blow.