• Liverpool, Chelsea keen if Barca’s deal collapses
Despite renewing his stay at Camp Nou with a five-year deal, Lionel Messi’s partnership with Antoine Griezmann in the attack may end if Barcelona and Atlético Madrid finalise the proposed exchange involving the midfielder Saúl Ñíguez Esclápez, known as Saúl.
Both players are happy with the arrangement but negotiations over their respective price tags must be concluded, with Barcelona insisting Griezmann’s value is greater than Saúl’s and wanting money as part of a deal.
On the other hand, English sides, Liverpool and Chelsea are keen on the 26-year-old Saúl if he does not end up at the Camp Nou.
With lots of suitors on the card, reports in the Spanish media said the France forward, who left Atlético for Barcelona for €120m in 2019, would like to return to the Wanda Metropolitano and the swap deal involving Saul could make it happen.
Beaten to the punch by PSG for Georginio Wijnaldum, Barcelona are seeking to bolster their midfield, and removing Griezmann’s €34 million (£29m/$40m) pre-tax salary off their books in one fell swoop could do the magic.
With Saul on board, it would help give some rest to the over-used Pedri or allow Frenkie de Jong to feature further back, in Sergio Busquets’s position, if the veteran needs some time out to stay fresh.
The Catalans, who are in dire financial straits, still have a lot of work to do, not just to keep ridding themselves of deadwood and hammering their bulging wage bill into shape, but also in forming a team around Messi that can win the Champions League again.
And Joan Laporta’s board has worked tirelessly to tie up four signings as part of reconstructing the team for this coming season.
Memphis Depay can ease pressure on Messi in attack with his willingness to dribble and direct play, while Sergio Aguero will not only offer goals but is close friends with his Argentine compatriot.
After Barcelona allowed Messi’s pal and Castelldefels neighbour Luis Suarez to join Atletico Madrid for next to nothing, costing their own team in terms of attacking edge, Aguero’s arrival is a way of undoing some of that damage.
With Gerard Pique looking his age at times last season; Clement Lenglet in poor form; and Samuel Umtiti always having fitness issues, new signing Eric Garcia is expected to bring some much-needed pep to the defence.
Emerson Royal is the fourth arrival, and while it is unclear if he will get many minutes this season, in pre-season at least, he will battle for a place with Sergino Dest.
However, to register these players and Messi, Barcelona must clear big salaries off their books and Antoine Griezmann is a key player to shift, in that regard. Though Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho would also be good to remove, their injuries mean other sides are not forthcoming.
Given the huge wage cut he is taking, Messi obviously understands Barcelona’s financial position is precarious, but that does not mean he is not expecting the club to work hard to find ways to improve.
Barcelona’s team next season will look very different, but at least they are now certain Messi will still be leading the charge. They can only hope the team being created around him is good enough to help them climb back towards their perch as kings of Europe for the first time since 2015, and if not this season, then in the years to come.
Given Messi’s gesture, when he could have walked away, they must do what they can to follow through on their end.
Koeman will also hope the young players he brought through – Ilaix Moriba, Ronald Araujo, Oscar Mingueza – continue to develop in the same way Pedri has. They have more experience and are developing all the time.
Barcelona are also hopeful that NXGN 2021 winner Ansu Fati can pick up where he left off, although it has been a long road back to fitness for the young forward after a series of knee injury problems. – With Goal.com reports
