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There's no doubt Sandro Rosell's true genius isn't football itself, but marketing.
Sometimes both marketing and football can come together (by chance, most of the time). A good case in point for this is that Rosell was the man who convinced Ronaldinho to come to the Camp Nou back when he was Laporta's vice-president in 2003.
The reason Sandro was able to pull some strings with Dinho is that he was Nike's CEO in Brazil a few years ago.
Word on the street is that the now Barcelona president is at it again and wants to use the powerful position he still holds within Nike and the Brazilian federation to bring a new star Barça's way.
And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know exactly who both Nike and Brazil have appointed to be next superstar both in marketing and football:
Yeah. Santos' Neymar.
I personally wouldn't like the arrival of the Brazilian phenom.
To start things off, we already have a star in Lio Messi, and I don't think he'll get along with Neymar if he's had trouble sharing the spotlight with Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Football only has one ball in it. And for Barça, it belongs to Lionel Messi.
Speaking of Neymar himself, I do believe he's insanely talented, but seeing him for five minutes, you just know he wouldn't fit as a Barça high pressing winger that Pedro and David Villa do so effectively. On top of that, without the ball, he just doesn't play. No movements into space, no supporting moves for his team-mates. Nothing.
Pep would have to coach him up. And paying €50 million for someone you have to coach up is absolutely ludicrous.
The only way I could see him fit in is if you get rid of Messi himself. And that's crazy talk.
All of these things said, there's a strong chance Rosell wants him and is out to get him this week. Even if we know Pep Guardiola doesn't want him.
I've read he wants to buy Neymar now, and for him to come for next season after playing one more season at Santos. The reasoning behind this being that he also wants Pep out and that his new coach (whomever he might be) would use Neymar as his pillar.
Evidently these are all rumors, but it begs the question: what is Rosell doing with Brazil?
Neymar's agent has already said Barcelona and Madrid are in the chase, even confirming the rumor that if Barça buy him, he won't come until next year.
Dani Alves has also fed the rumor, saying he wants him in his team and that he would sign him if he had the money.
What to make of this? Is the rumor true? Will Neymar be a Blaugrana next season? Does Dani Alves know something?
But more importantly:
Would you as a fan sign Neymar?
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