A few months back, efforts by Barcelona to win back Neymar had ended in frustration. The Brazilian striker stayed with Paris Saint-Germain. However, rumors persist that Neymar will soon play at Camp Nou again, and Barca seemed to encourage it before but not anymore.
The latest signs point to a different mindset for Barcelona, and at present, it appears that the club has re-arranged its signing priorities. No longer that Neymar is the top priority for future acquisition. The focus now is to secure the grip on the 16-year-old Ansu Fati and further developed the recently naturalized Spanish citizen.
For Barcelona, Fati is the new golden boy, Barca Blaugranes reported.
"It seems Barç a is convinced the teenaged sensation will deliver on his enormous potential. They probably are not keen on blocking the young star's progress by adding an already-established superstar like Neymar," the report said.
Barca's repositioning on Neymar is understandable. It seemed that at this point, the Brazilian is struggling to keep a healthy form. He was again injured in a Euro 2020 qualifier and could be out action again. In other words, Neymar's health issues seem to cast a cloud of doubt on his ability to play when needed.
The Spanish club is also weighing on the wisdom of bringing back the former Barca player. As mentioned, the last attempt failed to materialize as Neymar decided to stick with PSG. Then there were talks of him considering a jump to Real Madrid.
Those were rumors, but apparently, even the mere suggestion of Neymar flirting with the idea of playing for Real did not sit well with the Barcelona fanbase. He has now become a polarizing figure as far as the Barca crowd is concerned.
Per Bleacher Report, shelving the Neymar return plan could prove a blessing in disguise for Barcelona. The chief reason is the Brazilian's health status. Since 2014, Neymar was forced to skip a total of 83 matches due to a series of injuries. The data is saying Barca's hesitation on the matter is well-founded.
So the focus has now shifted to the hiring of a player after the mold of Luis Suarez. Fortunately for Barcelona, Fati is already on hand and only waiting to explode when afforded the opportunity.
Fati will still need more work on consistency, but his current club is taking notice of the youngster's promises. He recently wrote history by becoming the youngest goal-scorer in the Barcelona fold.
On this, Barca is not taking any chances. Reports said Fati would soon sign a fresh deal that would give him a fix season salary equivalent to $1 million. And to make sure completing clubs will keep a distance, Fati's contract will reportedly include a release clause worth £88 million.
