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How the arrivals of Griezmann and Neymar will affect Barca's transfer plans

Left-back is one position which may be affected by the dual arrival of the attacking giants

El deseo del Barça es ver a Neymar y a Griezmann con la camiseta azulgrana / | Marta Fernández
Juan Manuel Díaz

Barcelona will be one of the more active clubs in the transfer market this summer but their operations are greatly conditioned by two names - Antoine Griezmann and Neymar Jr.

The Catalans are working on reinforcing each line of the team. Frenkie de Jong was the midfield signing, while Neto will join in July to replace Jasper Cillessen, who has gone the other way to Valencia.

The expectation is that Antoine Griezmann will join from July 1, when his release clause is lowered from 200m to 120m euros.

Neymar, meanwhile, has the potential to be one of the biggest soap operas of the summer. The Brazil winger wants to come and PSG are willing to let him go but the 200m cost makes things difficult, including Philippe Coutinho in the operation.

There are other positions Barca are looking for players in. They are interested in Real Betis’s Junior Firpo and Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerrero, but Filipe Luis is an option too for left-back and he is free after leaving Atletico Madrid - useful with all the other money being spent.

Barcelona are also not entering into the auction for Matthijs de Ligt that Mino Raiola is trying to create, with the club making an offer and not budging.

Even though with Ney and Griezmann potentially arriving, it doesn’t solve the problem of not having a direct replacement for Luis Suarez in the mid to long term.

 

At least the exits are starting to happen with Gomes and Cillessen finding new homes…