da imperador bet： With over three weeks of the summer transfer window remaining, Premier League managers and chairmen are undoubtedly bracing themselves for the chain reaction Neymar’s stunning world-record move to PSG could create in the English top flight.
da luck： Of course, there are top-class talents in the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 as well but as things stand, the Premier League appears the likeliest location for Barcelona to do their shopping as they attempt to fill a Neymar-shaped hole on the left-hand side of their attack.
The resulting question, however, is quite simply who should they attempt to pluck from the Premier League? FootballFanCast takes a look at the leading candidates…
Philippe Coutinho
The player most frequently linked with a Nou Camp move having seemingly outgrown his surroundings at Anfield, Philippe Coutinho mimics Neymar’s role in Liverpool’s front three as a right-footed attacker placed on the left to allow for cutting inside.
Since arriving in the Premier League from Inter Milan in January 2013, the Brazilian has established himself as a real match-winning threat, capable of creating chances with moments of magic and scoring goals out of nothing by blasting into the onion bag from long range – his six goals from outside the box were the most of any Premier League player last season.
But in some ways, that highlights the biggest concern regarding Coutinho and whether he actually suits the way Barcelona play; he’s always been a very direct attacking threat, to the extent that he produced the third-most shots from outside the box of any Premier League player last season.
If anything, after three years under Luis Enrique, Barcelona need to get back to their roots of almost mind-numbing ball retention that made them the best side in the world. Coutinho’s yet to prove he can be that kind of playmaker for the Catalans. The other big question mark, somewhat linked to that, is whether he’s actually a forward at all – arguably his best performance last season came from central midfield, when he ran riot at the London Stadium in a 4-0 win over West Ham.
Dele Alli
Not necessarily a Barcelona attacker in the traditional sense of diminutive and technical with an abundance of agility, but Dele Alli would offer the Catalans something a little different, namely dynamism, fight and determination with incredible energy both with and without the ball – something that could be vital if Barcelona hope to return to the old days of instantaneous pressing as soon as they lose possession.
Likewise, there’s no doubt the 21-year-old is firmly on course to become one of world football’s biggest talents and the manner his ability has grown exponentially since being plucked from League One just two years ago suggests he’s capable of making that gigantic step up to becoming a leading performer at the Nou Camp, especially if he can continue his rich vein of goals from attacking midfield and the inside right forward role – notching up a gigantic 22 across all competitions last season.
But English players rarely tend to fare well in La Liga – in fact, there have only been 19 English representatives in the Spanish top flight to date – and there’s a very good reason for that. Our footballing cultures are incredibly different, especially in terms of technique and what’s prioritised on the training pitch, and sometimes they clash just a little too much. Alli could be the exception, but he’ll have to fight against the tide of history.
Eden Hazard
Perhaps the most natural fit to replace Neymar as another right-footed left forward of similar technical ability, Eden Hazard is the flagship talent of the Premier League in the eyes of many and easily amongst the greatest creative threats in world football – acting as Chelsea’s talismanic attacker during their last two Premier League title wins.
In terms of style too, Hazard seems perfect for Barcelona. No Premier League player completed more dribbles last season than the Belgian international and his ability to retain the ball is nothing short of world-class.
Despite topping the dribble charts, Hazard didn’t even rank in the top 15 for times dispossessed and unsuccessful touches last season, which is rather incredible considering the consistency in which he took the game to the opposition by running at defences with the ball.
Add around 15 goals per season, a similar tally of assists to boot and exceptional ingenuity on the ball, and Hazard emerges as the ideal replacement for Neymar. The ultimate question, however, is how attainable he is compared to Coutinho and Alli. Whilst Liverpool and Spurs will struggle to resist offers above the £100million mark, Chelsea have the finance to only sell on their terms.