How Barcelona should spend €222M if Neymar actually leaves for PSG

It can't happen, can it?

Exorbitant, outlandish, ridiculous. No word seems to sufficiently describe Paris Saint-Germain's alleged triggering of Neymar's €222-million release clause at Barcelona. And latest reports suggest the Brazilian's father will now negotiate terms with the Ligue 1 giant.

Related - Report: PSG to hold Neymar talks after triggering €222M release clause

It's the same amount of money as the country of Tonga's GDP in 2005, and - keep your lunches down, Barca fans - would be enough to buy not just one Andre Gomes, but six and a half of them.

But if the inconceivable happens and Neymar arrives in the French capital for a fee that blows Paul Pogba's world-record transfer to Manchester United out of the water, what should the Catalonian outfit spend its windfall on?

Alli and Dembele

Let's face it - Gerard Deulofeu isn't going to cure Barcelona's shallow striking depth, and certainly lacks the parts to fill Neymar's boots.

Instead, the Blaugrana could look to the future with two raw players who could slot into both the traditional 4-3-3 setup or the system that new Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde established at Athletic Bilbao - namely using a 4-2-3-1 base.

And most importantly, the players could forge an integral part of Barca's spine for a decade.

Ousmane Dembele's potential was clear at Ligue 1's Rennes, but his instant acclimatisation to the Bundesliga proved just how special he is. He's tailor-made for Neymar's role, and could also work superbly in tandem with Luis Suarez as Lionel Messi casts spells behind them in a deeper role.

Last season, Dembele recorded a league-high 103 completed dribbles - 20 more than second-placed Naby Keita despite starting seven less games.

Meanwhile, showing both his technical and tactical prowess at Tottenham Hotspur for two seasons has been Dele Alli, a modern, madcap version of 33-year-old Andres Iniesta. The MK Dons product first burst onto the scene as a breathless box-to-box terrier, covering every blade of grass and nipping at foes' toes. That should fit into Valverde's fondness for overloading the middle when the opposition has possession in its own half.

Then there were Alli's exploits last season - shadowing Harry Kane and exerting a high press - when he both scored and assisted more than Eden Hazard. He's incredibly gifted, and can add physicality to Barca's forward forays.

Mbappe and Verratti

Aside from PSG signing Neymar, there's only one more statement of intent in European football that could possibly trump it: capturing Kylian Mbappe.

Like Dembele, Mbappe is a menace when careering down channels on the left side of the pitch, so he could immediately seize Neymar's job list. His pace is devastating and his confidence unimpeachable - there's no reason why Mbappe can't reach Neymar's repute soon, and perhaps surpass it.

The going rate for the 18-year-old is somehow only around half of what PSG is willing to spend on Neymar, so Barcelona should make interested archrival Real Madrid jealous by snapping up the precocious forward if Neymar exits.

(Courtesy: @Squawka)

Barcelona should also revisit a player who's piqued its interest for some time.

"(Marco) Verratti is a player we like," club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said earlier in July. "(Sporting director) Robert (Fernandez) wants him to come, as do Valverde and (general manager Pep) Segura. And we know that the player wants to come to Barca."

But nothing has changed. With no release clause in the Italian's contract, Barcelona hasn't been able to untie Verratti from PSG. Still, if the latter is €222 million in the red in a few weeks' time, Verratti may have to be sold to satisfy UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations.

He's a better pre-assembled fit than Alli to serve as Iniesta's heir, with Verratti's tactical intelligence, vision, and tendency to muck in making him one of the best midfielders on the continent.

Restoration project: Revive La Masia traditions

There are loitering issues behind the scenes at Barcelona.

Sixteen-year-old Eric Garcia was plucked from La Masia this summer as former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol helped engineer the youngster's move to Manchester City - and that's not the first exit the Blaugrana could rue for years to come.

Jordi Mboula had already left for Monaco in the current transfer window, joining a list of departed La Masia prospects that includes Mauro Icardi, Keita Balde, Sandro Ramirez, Alex Grimaldo, Hector Bellerin, and Marc Bartra; all of whom have flourished away from where they made their first steps towards the professional game.

Barcelona has had to backtrack to re-sign players as well. Cesc Fabregas, Jordi Alba, and Denis Suarez were all brought back to Barcelona after being allowed to slip through the net, and it took some poor foresight at Manchester United to return Gerard Pique to Catalonia.

Whether the issue has been coaching, weathering facilities, or simply crowding out youngsters from first-team matters, Barcelona needs to play the long game and splash cash behind the scenes to regain its proud practice of promoting its youth.

Don't waste money on Paulinho

(Photo courtesy: Getty)

All it took was a hat-trick against an underachieving Uruguay side in March to bring Paulinho back to the public domain, and it's incredible that the Brazilian is still aged just 28.

He prematurely moved in a cash-hungry switch to the Chinese Super League back in 2015, which led to questions about his belief and ambition following a poor spell with Tottenham.

It's difficult to find a convincing argument for Paulinho to arrive in Barcelona. The club needs marquee signings after last season's continental and domestic disappointments - big names who can take the mantle for at least five years - rather than a journeyman midfielder who will pick up a hefty pay packet and seldom start.

"Two or three players will come in from outside the club. There's a long way to go in the window, we've got until the end of August. Patience," Bartomeu requested last week.

The club president gave the impression that Barcelona's business will be taken with great consideration. Why, then, does its hierarchy seem to believe nabbing Paulinho is carefully thought-out business?

The 2017-18 season will be key to stopping the rot and ushering in a new era at Barcelona, and that will certainly be the case if Neymar's potential sale leaves the Camp Nou coffers overflowing.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images, unless stated otherwise)