Major Crisis Awaits Barcelona as Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho Return to Camp Nou

Barcelona may have enjoyed some success since the start of 2022 as they are set to finish second behind Real Madrid in La Liga, but their problems don't seem to be over. Late last month, the Catalans lost three consecutive matches at home, leaving their fans on the verge of despair.

Barcelona could have 11 attacking options in their squad in the summer as Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho, and Francisco Trincao are set to return to Camp Nou respectively from Atletico Madrid, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers where they have been on loan for a considerable time.

This could lead to a major crisis at the club, which is still reeling from the shock exit of its greatest player, Lionel Messi, last summer, according to reports from Spanish outlet Marca and British newspaper The Daily Mail.

In football, no team employs more than three attackers in a game and this could put manager Xavi in a tight spot, considering that the likes of Ansu Fati, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres might object to being put on the bench for any prolonged period.

For a long time, Fati has been considered Barca's future and has impressed Xavi Hernandez after the Spanish legend was appointed club manager in November.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres joined the Spanish outfit during the winter transfer season and like Fati, have consistently produced fine performances.

In this situation, fitting the remaining eight attackers into his starting line-up would not be possible for Xavi, meaning one may not see Coutinho, Trincao or Griezmann playing ever again for the former La Liga champions.

Then there are Luuk de Jong, Adama Traore, Memphis Depay, Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite as the other attacking options at Xavi's disposal, but where he could place them would seem to be an impenetrable mystery.

If this embarrassment of riches were not enough to cause some confusion, Barca have been heavily linked to Bayern Munich megastar Robert Lewandowski in recent months.

Should the Poland captain join Camp Nou, it would be difficult to keep a player of his calibre on the sidelines.

It could create a nightmarish situation at the club, especially at a time when the outfit has struggled to win a game without their talismanic defender Gerard Pique.

Pundits have emphasised that instead of signing more strikers, the Blaugrana should bring in a few more defenders to Catalonia.

Barca's top rivals, Real Madrid, have very well understood that to win games, a team needs people in both attack and defence and that's the reason they are on the verge of signing Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Barca clearly have yet to learn their lesson despite experiencing a string of losses this season.