Neymar loan deal could be genius move for Barcelona

FC Barcelona have been strongly courting PSG forward Neymar for the better part of the summer, and perhaps a loan deal will be the stroke of genius that finally brings the Brazilian back to Camp Nou.

Although Barcelona won La Liga handily in 2018-2019, they collapsed in the Champions League and failed to win the Copa del Rey. Since Barca’s aim is to complete the treble, winning all three titles, their most recent season was viewed as a failure by both management and the fans.

As such, Barca have made strong improvements to their squad this summer, including a bold nine-figure move for former Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann. But despite adding Griezmann to an attacking line that already included Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, and Luis Suarez, Barcelona have hotly pursued Neymar for the past few months.

It’s been extremely difficult to push PSG into making a move. While Neymar has made it abundantly clear that he wants to leave Paris just two years after making a 222 million euro move to step out of Messi’s shadow, the Ligue 1 champions remain uninterested in being pressured into accepting anything less than the forward’s true value.

Barcelona have tried proposing player swaps with PSG, as they don’t have the funds to make a straight cash transfer after purchasing Griezmann. But PSG are mostly interested in cash, which has complicated matters.

Therefore, a loan deal could be the perfect solution for Barca. ESPN FC’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens report that Barcelona are ready to submit a loan offer to PSG for Neymar, with an included option to purchase the 27-year-old when the 2019-2020 campaign ends.

Per ESPN, this decision has been inspired by Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho loan, as the attacking midfielder has made his way to Bayern Munich for the 2019-2020 campaign – and potentially beyond. It would cost more to make Neymar’s deal permanent, but Neymar is a better player at a splashier position and has excelled in La Liga before.

What makes a loan deal for Neymar so appealing for Barcelona is the lack of commitment. While Neymar has been a star at Barcelona before, there’s still a slight chance a permanent move doesn’t work out. Barca might not be able to make an attacking lineup of Messi, Suarez, Neymar, Dembele, and Griezmann work this season, so there’s that risk.

And financially, Barca can’t make a straight cash deal work this summer, but it’s conceivable that the could purchase him outright next year. PSG are probably keen to get rid of Neymar in order to convince Kylian Mbappe to re-sign long-term instead of bolting to Real Madrid, which would also be an unsavory outcome from Barca’s perspective.

The only way PSG could get fair value for Neymar is if the Brazilian has an amazing season at a club that still loves him, as Barcelona would be more than willing to spend the money if Neymar helps lead them to another Champions League title.

Proposing the right fee for Neymar at the end of the season will be a challenge, but Barcelona and PSG still have a couple of weeks to negotiate something. If Coutinho, Barca, and Bayern could come to an agreement, then there’s no reason why a loan deal between Barcelona and PSG can’t work, particularly because it’s clear a move is inevitable. At this point, a loan deal may be the best way to satisfy all parties in the short term.