The arrival of formerBarcelonaplayer and manager Luis Enrique atPSGhas an added benefit for the Catalan giants it would seem.
Over the years, the two clubs have had their fair share of conflict on and off the field, with high-profileBarcelonaplayers moving to the French capital.
WhenNeymarmoved toPSGfor an astonishing €222 million,Barcelonawere shocked as he was on the cusp of becoming a legєɴԀ at the Nou Camp.
With the wad of moneyBarcelonareceived, many thought they would rebuild effectively. Instead, their transfers left a lot to be desired, and most failed miserably to cope with the pressure of playing forBarcelona.
Barca failed to replace Neymar wisely
Phillipe Coutinho and Antione Griezmann arrived in a bid to replace Neymar, and it’s safe to say both players didn’t live up to the lofty expectations.
Coutinho and Griezmann made 150 appearances between them, hardly a good return on investment, and never threatened to match Neymar’s success at the club.
Ousmane Dembele arrived atBarcelonaaround the same time as Neymar left. While he has shown promise recently, he has had a turbulent time in Spain, with form and injuries seeing him fall down the pecking order.
The horrible misuse of money generated from the sale of Neymar resulted inBarcelonawatching their fierce rivalsReal MadridliftChampions Leagueafter Champions League, four times in fact. In contrast, the Catalan giants haven’t lifted the much coveted trophy since 2015.
Why won’tPSGsignBarcelonaplayers anymore?
According to SPORT, Enrique’s arrival at the Parc de Princes has calmed the tension between the two clubs, and the formerBarcelonamanager will look elsewhere to bolster his squad. A subconscious gentleman’s agreement, if you will.
Barcelona can rest easy withPSGnow unlikely to move for any of their big-name players. They have learnt their lesson from the Neymar debacle by putting astronomical release clauses in some of their players’ contracts. The likes of Gavi, Pedri, and Ronald Araujo have €1 billion release clauses, something no club in the world is likely to pay for one player.
Footballmay be going bonkers in terms of transfer fees. However, we’ve not quite reached that level of insanity yet.
With Enrique becoming the manager ofPSG, it will give everyone atBarcelonaa sigh of relief. An inside man and a club legєɴԀ in charge of a side that has causedBarcelonaso much trouble over the years.
The manager’s office atPSGis a revolving door, however, and there’s no knowing how long Enrique will last in Paris. Huge names such as Laurent Blanc, Carlo Ancelotti, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, and Mauricio Pochettino have all come and gone. Not one of those big-name managers lasted more than three years at the club. That is a good indication of how the club operates, ruthless and perhaps unstable.
PSG crave the Champions League, they are yet to win the trophy, and their Qatari owners are determined to bring it to Paris. Whether Enrique will be the man to achieve that aim remains to be seen. One thing is certain, the pressure on his shoulders to deliver will be immense.
