Last train for the trident of 400 million euros

Philippe Coutinho's agent, Kia Joorabchian, has made it clear that the Brazilian “stays.” Antoine Griezmann said last Tuesday that his future “is at Barça.” And although Ousmane Dembélé has not said anything, the lack of offers and Barça's obligation to pay an extra 30 million to Dortmund if it sells it, allows us to guarantee that it will continue as a Barça player in 2020-21. It is the trident of 400 million. Three world-class stars who have not made Neymar forget, the mission for which they came, and who have put Barça in a delicate monetary situation. Bartomeu not only spent the 222 million that the Brazilian paid to flee to Paris Saint Germain. The investment doubled and the result, you can see, has been terrible.

Namely, Dembélé arrived in the summer of 2017 from Borussia Dortmund. Barça paid 105 million for the controversial Frenchman, who already came with bad references for declaring in absentia with his club and leaving his home in a mess. In addition to the first 105 million, Barça has already paid 20 more for his qualification for two editions of the Champions League and for the Frenchman's first 50 games as a Barça player. His performance has been a disaster. Plagued with injuries since he arrived, he has not played soccer for ten and a half months after breaking down on November 27, 2019. Believing in him today only has to do with the supernatural. In addition to his physical problems, there is a poor reading of many aspects of the game that he only compensates with his physical exuberance, and it will be necessary to see how he is in that aspect after very serious injuries and glass legs. But Dembélé has no offers and will try to convince Koeman. He will have to do it, either as a right winger, if Messi plays as a midfielder; or as a substitute for Ansu, because Fati is ahead.

Although Barça and Liverpool did not make public the figures for the signing of Coutinho at the express wish of the Reds, the price of the operation was around 160 million euros. The Brazilian arrived in January 2018 and, after a few exciting months with spectacular performances in the Cup, fell from grace in the 2018-19 season with the final epilogue of the whistles from the Camp Nou crowd. Despite being a player with undeniable talent, his performance was extremely low and Barça decided that he would go to Munich. ANDl last winter, there was no possibility that Coutinho would continue at Barça, convinced that he would find a club in the Premier that would alleviate, by at least a percentage, the financial fiasco of the signing. Covid-19 changed the scene. Given the lack of offers, Barça, with the agreement of Koeman, has decided that he is part of the squad. Its fit is unclear.

Griezmann completes the trident of 400 million euros. His first year was gray. Convinced of taking a step forward in his career, he arrived at Barça after the Barça club paid the 120 million euros of his termination clause. His signing did not generate consensus for the famous documentary La Decision. The player's attitude, however, was convincing the fans, who have seen him work. But do not enjoy. Griezmann has not been happy. Away from his usual position, he has not had the prominence he deserves in the game. It faded and ended up looking like just another footballer.

Probably, this 2020-21 season will be the last chance for these three players who aroused so many expectations and who generate so many doubts today. Bartomeu confessed among his most intimate that his biggest mistake as president was spending Neymar's 222 million on two footballers who have not given Barça anything like Dembélé and Coutinho. Griezmann does not yet fall into this category of failure. But the three are obliged to justify, at once, the multimillion-dollar investment that the club made to find some formula that would make Neymar forget. Match-ball for the trident of 400 million.