How Barcelona could line up with ‘greatest attack of all-time’ of Neymar, Griezmann, Messi and Suarez
BARCELONA could potentially have the "greatest attack of all time" if they managed to sign Neymar on top of Antoine Griezmann.
The La Liga champs have completed a £108million move for the French World Cup winner, while the Paris Saint-Germain has reportedly agreed a return.
Atletico Madrid star Griezmann, 28, has signed a five-year contract, worth some £15m per year, with the Spanish giants.
While Neymar is believed to have reached a "verbal agreement" with Barca as he is trying to force through his move away from PSG.
But the Brazil star is still way off making his stunning Nou Camp return as PSG are reluctant to let their star go.
However, the Spanish media already wonder how Ernesto Valverde could fit the pair into his pack spearheaded by Messi and Luis Suarez.
JUST ALL-IN
Valverde could go all-in and, to the joy of the Nou Camp crowd, accommodate all of his stars if he opted for a 4-2-4 formation.
That would see Suarez and Messi, 32, form a partnership up front with Neymar and Griezmann supporting them from the wings.
However, this option puts a lot of pressure on Sergio Busquets and new boy Frenkie de Jong, who signed for Barcelona in a £65m deal from Ajax back in January.
They would be the only ones responsible for defensive play in midfield, making the Catalans prone to counter-attacks.
MESSI IN AT No10
If Valverde decided that the 4-2-4 formation is too reckless to use, he could still deploy all members of the lethal quarter by dropping Messi into the No10 position.
That's nothing new for the Argentine maestro, who has proved on countless occasions he can create chances for his team-mates as much as score wonder goals on his own.
And Suarez could thrive with the support of Messi, Griezmann and Neymar, 27 behind him.
This version of the 4-2-3-1 formation would provide more stability to the Barca midfield.
But Busquets and De Jong would still have to work their socks off to make sure the La Liga champs are not vulnerable defensively.
DROP SUAREZ
Finally, if the ultra-offensive variant fails, Valverde could always consign one of his stars to the bench.
And Suarez, 32, would be the obvious candidate for the drop considering his age and gradually faltering form.
Ivan Rakitic could then support Busquets and De Jong in the middle of the park, providing more balance to the line-up.
And Messi would operate as a false No9 in a fluid formation with Neymar and Griezmann on the flanks.