3 ways Paris Saint-Germain can line up with Neymar
One club's loss is another's gain, and while Barcelona is set for a massive vacancy going forward, Paris Saint-Germain now possesses a bevy of options in the attacking third with the addition of Neymar.
Barring any departures - with winger Angel Di Maria and centre-mid Blaise Matuidi the most likely to make a late-summer exit - PSG has a wealth of choices in attack with the arrival of the left-sided star.
Here's a look at three ways PSG can line up next season as the capital club looks to both end Monaco's one-year Ligue 1 reign and a streak of five straight Champions League exits at the quarter-final stage or earlier:
4-3-3: The Draxler dilemma
When PSG shamed Barcelona in the first leg of a Champions League Round of 16 clash, Unai Emery opted for a 4-3-3 where Matuidi, Adrien Rabiot, and Marco Verratti formed one of the continent's best midfields.
The big losers here are Julian Draxler, and, to a lesser degree, Lucas Moura and Javier Pastore, with the German forced to come off the bench after seemingly acclimating to life in Emery's system.
In this set-up, Neymar gets to do what he does best: run at defenders shepherded by unparalleled dribbling skills and fire incisive passes to the feet of Edinson Cavani.
4-2-3-1: Pressers beware
Matuidi parks his butt on the bench as Pastore steps into a No. 10 role (health permitting) as Neymar stays out left. Draxler can also slot-in when Pastore inevitably gets hurt.
PSG looked very good last season when employing a 4-2-3-1, as Rabiot cemented his status as one of the continent's emerging midfield stars. If there is a concern with this set-up, it's that it requires Neymar and Di Maria to be mindful of tracking back.
That said, Neymar isn't the only Brazilian set to light the French capital ablaze, and if PSG's Trophee des Champions win over Monaco is any indication, Dani Alves could push forward. In that case, Alves takes Di Maria's spot and Thomas Meunier comes in at right-back.
4-4-2: Double duty for Rabiot, Verratti
An unconventional system for the Spanish gaffer entering his second season at the Parc des Princes, the 4-4-2 formation allows two natural wingers to pace the flanks, and considering how dangerous Draxler appeared towards the tail-end of last season, benching him could prove a challenge.
In this formation, Neymar helms a more narrow position off the shoulder of Cavani, and has free reign to float wherever he sees fit. With two targets for Draxler and Di Maria to target, this design could result in heaps of goals.
This construction is not without its risks, though, as Rabiot and Verratti will be forced to play a two-way game that values tracking back and ball-stopping as much as it does being part of the attack, with the assumption that the Italian would step forward in possession to assume the role of a quasi-No. 10.