"C&P FROM BARCA LIVE APP"
WHY THOMAS LEMAR IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE TO COUTINHO???
With Barcelona supposedly prepared to pay up to £148 million for Coutinho, it would take quite the talent to fill the marquee spot in their squad. Well, that is exactly what Lemar is. The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, starring alongside Kylian Mbappe, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Bernardo Silva and co. to run away with the Ligue 1 title. The wide-playmaker plays a very similar role to Coutinho in Liverpool’s side. Having started primarily as a wide-left player, Lemar’s importance to the team presented him with his own license to roam – along with Silva – and he was often seen to come centrally to dictate play on a principal level.
The heir to Iniesta?
So how would Lemar fit into Barcelona’s side if he was to make the move to Catalonia? With everybody available, you would expect Dembele to line-up with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in Barca’s attack. That leaves the midfield, which has been one of the most controversial aspects of their side since Xavi left back in 2015. Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta is 33 now, and has become susceptible to injuries in the last 12 months; whilst Lemar may not possess the capability to play a deeper ‘6’ role – or even the more traditional idea of the ‘8’ – his skillset would make him perfect for a cross between the ‘8’ and ’10’ as Iniesta has filled so poetically over the last 15 years.
Pace is key
With Lemar, pace would be guaranteed and Ernesto Valverde would have a player – that’s not Messi – who could dictate the ball’s journey from halfway line to opposition box at a much quicker pace. The unpredictability of the two Frenchmen in Dembele and Lemar would create another dimension of Barcelona’s attack – as Neymar did – and would give opposing defences much more to think about than just Messi; not that he isn’t enough to think about on his own.
Conclusion
As of now, any club would have to pay a lot of money to convince Monaco to sell Lemar. However, if there is any team that can do it, it’s Barcelona. Taking their priority away from Coutinho, Valverde would have around £148 million to play with, and the maximum value quoted for Lemar as of now is £92 million. Combining Lemar and Dembele would go a long way to reinvigorating Barcelona’s side, and would make them one of the most exciting sides on the planet to watch play the game. Together they would help to ease the burden on Messi, allow Suarez to focus on his penalty-box presence and bring a sense of unpredictability that could light up any stadium in Europe.
Source: real sport 101
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