Johan Cruyff says that now FC Barcelona have bought Neymar from Santos FC, they should consider selling Lionel Messi.
FC Barcelona great Johan Cruyff has sensationally suggested that the signing of Brazilian forward Neymar from Santos FC should prompt the Spanish giants to sell Lionel Messi.
The former Netherlands international, who famously played, managed and has been a director at Camp Nou, has suggested that the signing of an additional superstar to the squad will cause friction.
“With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling Messi – and some would agree with that, others not,” said Cruyff to Spanish publication Marca.
“You are talking about a team, its players, the things around it … There are too many things at stake. That’s why it’s so difficult to manage such a top class squad.”
“It’s like the free kicks,” added Cruyff as an example.
“Neymar is very good at taking them, and Messi has already shown he is. Who’s going to take them?
“Or the fact that Neymar and Barcelona are with Nike while Leo is with Adidas. These are situations that could cause problems.”
Given that Lionel Messi has been an Adidas client for years, and FC Barcelona have been sponsored by Nike for even longer, Cruyff’s logic seems somewhat flawed.
Furthermore, with Messi left footed, and Neymar favouring his right, there is an advantage to each player when taking free kicks on alternate sides of the pitch.
Still, Cruyff emphasised his point, suggesting that signing Neymar was a risk that Barca should not have taken.
“We’ll have to wait and see – it could turn out well or badly,” he added. “It’s a risk.”
“No, I wouldn’t have signed Neymar.”
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