Tuesday 25 June 2013


The Netherlands legend believes the Catalans have created a potential conflict of interest within the squad by signing the Brazil starlet to play alongside the Argentine

Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff feels the Catalans should consider cashing in on Lionel Messi now they have brought Neymar on board.

The Liga champions signed Neymar in a deal worth €57 million earlier this summer and Cruyff envisages problems following the former Santos star's arrival.

"With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling Messi. Some would agree with me and others would not," Cruyff told Marca.

"Neymar's arrival could cause problems. Just look at free kicks for example. Neymar is very good at taking them. And Messi has already shown he is great, too. 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.

"You are talking about a team, its players, the things around it. There are too may things at stake. That's why it's so difficult to manage such a top class squad.

"Neymar is talented, but we will have to wait and see how he gets along with the rest of the squad. I would not have taken the risk of bringing in Neymar."

Messi has a contract with Barcelona until June 2018, while Neymar recently inked a five-year deal, too.