#4 Douglas Costa
One Brazilian out, one Brazilian in.
It’s not the most logical of ideas, but Douglas Costa could prove to be a relatively safe replacement for Neymar. The way Barcelona have utilized Neymar of late, is primarily wing play, which has seen the Brazilian rack up more assists this season than goals – although this is perhaps not the best use of Neymar’s talents. Douglas Costa is more suited to the role, as his primary focus is on beating his marker and getting the ball in – much like a traditional winger.
With Luis Suarez on the pitch, this could prove to be an instant hit for Barcelona. The Bayern Munich winger also would not come with a hefty price tag – his stock has not increased in the last few seasons, as injuries and squad rotation have seen him play only 1637 minutes this season. Costa has still managed to rack up 9 assists and 7 goals this season, which is a decent return from an undoubtedly talented player.
