Neymar wants to leave PSG, sees return to Barcelona as ideal
Neymar is done with PSG, and he wants to return to Barcelona, the club that brought him over to Europe back in 2013. A heated couple of months and a falling out with the club’s fans have soured the Brazilian’s experience in Paris. His desire to leave is not surprising, and it has been the subject of speculation for several months. His ideal landing point might be something of a surprise, though.
French outlet L’Equipe reports Neymar wants to rejoin Barcelona. Interestingly, PSG offered Neymar as part of a swap deal to lure Ousmane Dembele to the Parc des Princes. However, Barcelona denied the deal. Barcelona manager Xavi said the current Barcelona squad and system do not overly align with Neymar’s playing style.
The same reason exists right now. According to ESPN, Xavi is one of the main reasons this transfer may not go through. The Barca boss wants to acquire a right-back and an attacking midfielder. Ousmane Dembele’s departure would open a door in the squad for Neymar. However, it does not make sense in the Spaniard’s eyes.
However, Barcelona is not fully ruling out the potential of landing Neymar. Some of the Barcelona executives want to bring Neymar back to Spain. There are certain financial hurdles to answer, but it remains a possibility in the club’s eyes. Therefore, Barcelona is not backing out of Neymar yet.
Xavi not keen on Barcelona signing PSG star Neymar
Xavi has had the final say on signings this year. For example, Barcelona brass wanted to sign Ruben Neves as a replacement for the outgoing Sergio Busquets. However, Xavi wanted the less-flashy Oriol Romeu who was at Girona last season. Based on that trend, Xavi may want someone that does not garner the headlines like Neymar’s return to the club would.
Neymar, who is 31 years old, can still provide when he is healthy. Last season with PSG, he scored 13 goals and assisted 11 times in just 20 league appearances. He also scored a pair of goals at the World Cup in Qatar. Still, one of the biggest concerns for Neymar is injuries. Ankle surgery in March 2023 ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Penta Press