Neymar's Transfer to Barcelona Ensures Firepower for Catalans' Attack

Newly signed Barcelona forward Neymar will have the luxury of playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi as his career continues to blossom. The 21-year-old prodigy will provide the Catalans insurance for their typically prolific offensive attack.

Neymar inked a five-year contract to play at Camp Nou on Monday, according to the Associated Press via USA Today, and the Brazilian media reports that Barca is paying €30 million to acquire him.

ESPN FC documented what Neymar had to say about his new teammates:

Neymar: "It will be an honour to play there. To be able to play with Messi will be a dream ... with him, Xavi, Iniesta, them all." #FCB

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 27, 2013

It was a massive decision to make for the Brazilian international who starred with Santos. Had he gone to Real Madrid instead, the power in La Liga would likely have shifted significantly.

Now it seems clearer that Barcelona's reign atop the league will not be as threatened. There is some uncertainty as the summer transfer window action gets underway, though.

Veteran offensive cornerstone David Villa is far from guaranteed to stick around. The striker is drawing interest from former English Premier League club Arsenal, but Tottenham is also vying for his services, per Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail.

The Barcelona brass is willing to move Villa for a price of €12 million, and it remains to be seen if that will happen.

Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez has insisted that he is staying with the Catalans through next season after Barcelona made it clear that it still values him as a player, which put him more at ease.

The versatile Cesc Fabregas is also being pursued by EPL powerhouse Manchester United, with new manager David Moyes reportedly willing to fork over €25 million for him, according to Owen Bennett of The Express.

Even with the possibility of Villa and Fabregas departing, head coach Tito Vilanova has to be licking his chops at the prospects of Neymar and what he can add to the lineup.

Vilanova elaborated on the signing of Neymar and discussed how tantalizing the scenario is, per ESPN FC:

It's a dream to have an attack like this. With so many better players we will have more chances to win. Now, we have to combine them in the best way, as we have done before. If Neymar comes it is because Barca are a long-term option for him

Neymar is a phenomenal ball-handler with a lethal shot and also flourishes as a precocious, precise passer. The combination of him and Messi alone should give defenders and goalkeepers nightmares.

When Messi went down with a hamstring injury in the midst of Barca's run through the UEFA Champions League, it simply wasn't the same club without him near 100 percent. That's to be expected, but the setback was so severe that the team lost to eventual champion Bayern Munich by a 7-0 aggregate score over two matches.

ESPN Stats & Info noted just how bad the damage was in the opening 4-0 loss:

Barcelona's 4-goal loss to Bayern Munich matches its worst-ever European defeat

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 23, 2013

Now that Neymar is in the fold, should Messi ever leave the lineup, there is more than a puncher's chance that the Catalans can be similarly effective and explosive.

Xavi and Andres Iniesta will continue to be stalwarts at midfield, and Neymar's contributions should only be enhanced by their play.

Those two individuals in particular, along with Messi, were players Neymar expressed excitement about teaming up with, per FC Barcelona on Twitter:

Neymar (@njr92): “It’s an honour to be able to play with Messi, Xavi and Iniesta” bit.ly/12IsSfF

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 27, 2013

Scoring will be paramount as ever for Vilanova's squad because longtime goalkeeper Victor Valdes is reportedly leaving the club to join Monaco, per James Dickenson of The Express.

As much firepower as Barca has possessed in recent years—it scored 111 La Liga goals in 37 fixtures this season—the added element of Neymar's playmaking ability will not only provide security for the immediate future but will also pay off in the long term.

Barcelona needed Neymar to an extent, but Neymar made the best choice to advance his own prowess on the pitch. He has all the makings of being a legitimate superstar if his form with Santos is any indication.

With a loaded supporting cast, impeccable coaching and invaluable mentoring from Barca's veterans, Camp Nou was a phenomenal choice for Neymar.