The international break and the lull in club football always brings sensational rumors, and a potential return to Catalonia for Neymar takes the cake this time around. After the Brazilian’s shock move to Paris Saint-Germain now over a year ago, it would certainly be an even bigger shock to see him back in the home locker room at the Camp Nou. The rumor says that Neymar has indicated that he is open to returning to Barcelona and that president Josep Bartomeu met with the current players to confirm that they would be open to the idea. This story might just be a flash in the pan, but it could also be the start of a headline-making saga that would surely capture the imagination.
The two Dutch talents from Ajax are not just on Barcelona’s radar. Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong are being tracked by a number of major clubs and their performances during the international break will only raise their price on the transfer market. These transfer rumors were broken down on the latest edition of The Barcelona Podcast:
As spoken about on The Barcelona Podcast, Barcelona would be wise to evaluate their own talent before splashing the cash in the January transfer window to bring in a new centre-back; in the case that Thomas Vermaelen and Samuel Umtiti don’t recover properly. Jorge Cuenca, the left-footed Barcelona B partner of Chumi, is seen as the player with the higher ceiling, but Ernesto Valverde has instead been taking a long look at his partner in first team training.
Barcelona may be unilaterally connected to Catalan politics, but it appears that they are looking to avoid Brazilian politics completely. Club legend Ronaldinho, a player and a person that has never shied away from the spotlight, is reportedly backing right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro in the upcoming election. The Catalan club does not want to associate itself with the accusations of racism, homophobia and misogyny connected to Bolsonaro, and this apparently includes former players with ties to such behavior.
After two summers of preseason action in the United States, FC Barcelona is making their way east, potentially to meet up with Andrés Iniesta. This would mean a match-up with his Japanese club Vissel Kobe. Barcelona is looking to continue to advance their brand and their schooling in the far east, particularly in China. The clubs that Barcelona will face off against are not yet confirmed, but could a date with Paulinho and Guangzhou Evergrande also be in the cards?
Bonus: Take The Ball, Pass The Ball
Pep Guardiola. Lionel Messi. Carles Puyol. Xavi. With the help of Graham Hunter, this documentary tells the stories of the greatest era in the club’s history straight from the mouths of those legends that made it all possible. Culés are excited, to say the least.
