Neymar and Lionel Messi could create a football dream team together at Barcelona
The future of Brazilian sensation Neymar is one of football’s biggest conundrums, with speculation rife that Barcelona could look to make the youngster their latest big-name addition in Catalonia this summer.
However, Santos insist the 20-year-old forward is more than happy at the club, and is eager to stay at their until the 2014 World Cup on home soil.
Either way, Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been more than impressed with the player’s performances for the Selecao during the Olympic Games in London this summer, and is certain the player could make an impact at the Nou Camp if he were to move to Spain.
“I have discovered Neymar by watching the Olympics. I always said that a player with a special talent can fit into any team,” said the Spanish stopper ahead of tonight’s friendly against PSG.
“He does things that only he can do. This is valuable for any team and especially for a team like Barcelona.”
If Neymar were to move to Barca, he’d form a quite formidable partnership with another star from South America – Lionel Messi.
The Argentine playmaker has ripped up the record books in Catalonia, scoring incredible amounts of goals under former manager Pep Guardiola. New boss Tito Vilanova has even hinted that the player could aim for 100 goals next season.
Widely regarded as one of world football’s top two players, legendary players like Pele think that Neymar could challenge for that honour in the future, and there would be no place better to do that than in Barcelona.
Alongside Messi, the two could form one of the greatest double acts ever seen in football – although there have been a few in the Premier League in the past.
At Manchester United, the strike duo of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke were inspired, scoring goals in style for Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble winners in the 1998/99 season at Old Trafford.
For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres made the Reds an incredible attacking force to be reckoned with, taking numerous scalps but never taking the trophies they deserved for their form at Anfield.
Arsenal enjoyed several years with two Premier League legends at their pomp together, with Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry inspiring Arsene Wenger’s side to a great period of success in north London.
The great Chelsea double act doesn’t come in the shape of players in the same position, but through club captain John Terry and central midfielder Frank Lampard. Ever since the former West Ham starlet moved to Stamford Bridge, the pair have been key to the Blues enjoying success, irrespective of all the big-name players who arrived in the Roman Abramovich era.
Manchester City’s great pairing comes at centre-back, with Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott inspiring the big-spenders to the Premier League title last season. If they win it again in 2012/13, it will be built on defence.
The Messi-Neymar partnership has the potential to blow all of those pairings out of the water, however, and if the Blaugrana decide to spend big on the Samba starlet, it could be a huge blow for the rest of world football.
