The unwinding discussion surrounding Neymar's future has slightly scarred the appointment of Ernesto Valverde as the new Barcelona boss.
His appointment comes after a difficult 2016/17 campaign for the Catalan giants, which ultimately saw the detachment of Luis Enrique's three-year association with the club.
The 53-year old has been handed the task of re-establishing Barcelona as a major force in the Champions League, after two seasons of being eliminated in the quarter-finals, which for a team of their stature, is simply inadequate.
Valverde, who played with Blaugrana in the late 80's, has vast experience in the Spanish League, having coached the likes of Villarreal, Espanyol and Valencia. His most successful stint has been with Atletico Bilbao, the club he has managed for the past 4 years.
He reached the final of the Spanish Cup in 2015 and lead the Lions to their first trophy in 31 years by defeating Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana. He does however, have limited experience in Europe's premier competition and he will need to ensure the team has a sufficient impact this campaign in order to stamp his authority on the club.
The Neymar situation has unravelled to an unparalleled extent, which has seen extortionate amounts of money being gossiped regarding his rumoured move to PSG.
It is unlikely that Valverde will want the Brazilian to leave, but having only signed 3 players this summer at a total of just under £40m, the ambition he is showing as manager will not help his cause.
It seems Neymar may be unhappy being behind Messi as the catalyst and showman at Barca, whilst the money on offer and the chance to become the main man in France's capital could be tempting.
If he does end up leaving, the obvious alternative would be Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool.He is used to the 4-3-3 system and would play on the left alongside Messi and Suarez.
Although lacking the extra pace Neymar possesses, he does have the added flair, poise and vision, along with his ability to conjure up something out of nothing. He is a typical Barcelona player, and could potentially bring comparisons to Brazilian Ronaldo because of his potential style of play and impact at the club.
Of course this is all speculation, and whether Neymar does decide to leave will be his decision only.
Neymar is key to Valverde's plans this season. If the Spaniard does manage to keep him, it will help him to win over the fans and keep a tight unit together, which will be an important factor this season, something that Enrique failed to grasp last campaign.
He will of course have his own ideas and implement them, but his main objective will be to return Barcelona to Champions League glory again.
Winning back the bragging rights from their fierce rivals, Real Madrid, this upcoming campaign will be a crucial factor as to whether Valverde keeps his job next year.
Having experienced players such as Iniesta will be paramount, and perhaps signing a young talented midfielder to play next to the 33-year old may add intensity to their play - Marco Verratti being the obvious solution. He would link up well with Philippe Coutinho if Neymar moves.
If Valverde can keep a stable team together he has more chance of success. Keeping Neymar happy has to be a priority for this season, and if he can get the front three of MSN to play as a coherent unit once again, like in the 2014/15 treble-winning year, they may be on their way to recapturing those memories once again.
