The phrase “anything can happen in soccer” is common.
Barcelona’s tour in the United States was largely positive. It suffered a loss to Arsenal to start. However, the Spanish side picked up wins over Real Madrid and AC Milan. With encouraging results, the team had a strong outlook on the campaign in a few weeks.
One of the headlines in the American tour was the performance of Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman starred in the 3-0 win over Real Madrid. Dembele was a crucial cog in coach Xavi Hernández’s machine alongside squad leader Robert Lewandowski.
PSG grabbing Dembele from Barcelona, Neymar could go other way
The unexpected change of events, however, led Paris Saint-Germain to pursue the Frenchman as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who is slated to leave the club. Neymar was allegedly offered by PSG to help seal the deal that would bring Dembele to Paris.
The lower release clause expired on July 31. Still, PSG anticipates a fee of $54.7 million to acquire the winger. Interestingly, he only extended his contract with Barcelona last year.
What did Barcelona reply to Neymar swap deal offer?
Catalan newspaper Sport reports that the Ligue 1 champions asked Barcelona to loan Neymar to them for the next season during talks about a possible transfer including Dembele. However, the offer did not satisfy the LaLiga winners.
Barcelona may be looking for a new offensive figure with Dembele on the brink of leaving the club. According to the source, the Spaniards’ manager Xavi has no intentions to sign the Brazilian international as a replacement since he does not fit into his schemes.
The Camp Nou outfit is not considering the injury-prone 31-year-old as a core player for their squad despite the potential marketing benefits the move might bring. Moreover, the Brazilian’s high wages would present a major challenge for the club.
PHOTO: IMAGO / AFLOSPORT
