Barcelona beware: Neymar is a player set up for a monumental fall

Barcelona beware: Neymar is a player set up for a monumental fall

As Goal exclusively revealed in April, the 21-year-old has completed his move to Camp Nou, but whether he is the player the Spanish champions require remains questionable

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By Paul Macdonald

It is official: Neymar is a Barcelona player. 

BARCA'S NEW SAMBA STAR

The saga to end all sagas has reached its conclusion, and despite an attempt from Real Madrid to usurp their rivals, Camp Nou will next season feature both Lionel Messi and this floppy-haired 21-year-old in an undeniably tantalising teaming of talent.

As the 2012-13 season draws to a close, Barca, despite their fourth La Liga title in five years, are a subdued organisation. The clinical, methodical dismantling at the hands of Bayern, coupled with their own insipid capitulation, once again raised the question of Messidependecia. Without him this immortal team appear fallible. Without their god-like genius, they are ponderous. Susceptible. Beatable. Paris Saint-Germain almost seized upon it. Bayern relentlessly exploited it. 

Messi IS Barca, some believe. Pedro, Villa, Tello, Alexis - they aren't offering enough, say others. Now, the  cockatoo in the room becomes apparent; Neymar can provide that which is lacking when Messi is unable to deliver. 

Barcelona's agent in South America, Andre Cury, is a fully paid-up member of the Neymar appreciation society. 

"Neymar coming to Barcelona will put an end to two types of over-dependence: dependence on Neymar at Santos and over-dependence on Messi at Barcelona as we would then have another player at his level