Barcelona transfer news: Lionel Messi wants Neymar back from Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi is understood to be a prime mover in plans to take Neymar back to Barcelona, and would be perfectly willing to welcome his former teammate back.
The Brazilian’s controversial world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 shocked football and created a huge degree of acrimony around the Camp Nou squad and hierarchy, but it hasn’t fully worked out in the manner the 26-year-old hoped.
With the move partly made so Neymar could potentially usurp Messi and Ronaldo as the best player in the world, he was not even on the shortlist for this year’s Fifa The Best Award, and is generally said to be unhappy and unsettled in Paris.
FIFPro 55 best players in the world
1/55 Gianluigi Buffon – Italy, Juventus
2/55 David De Gea – Spain, Manchester United
3/55 Keylor Navas – Costa Rica, Real Madrid
4/55 Manuel Neuer – Germany, Bayern Munich
5/55 Jan Oblak – Slovenia, Atletico Madrid
6/55 David Alaba – Austria, Bayern Munich
7/55 Jordi Alba – Spain, Barcelona
8/55 Dani Alves – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
9/55 Jerome Boateng – Germany, Bayern Munich
10/55 Leonardo Bonucci – Italy, Juventus/AC Milan
11/55 Dani Carvajal – Spain, Real Madrid
12/55 Giorgio Chiellini – Italy, Juventus
13/55 Diego Godin – Uruguay, Atletico Madrid
14/55 Mats Hummels – Germany, Bayern Munich
15/55 Phillipp Lahm – Germany, Bayern Munich/retired
16/55 David Luiz – Brazil, Chelsea
17/55 Marcelo – Brazil, Real Madrid
18/55 Javier Mascherano – Argentina, Barcelona
19/55 Pepe – Portugal, Real Madrid/Besiktas
20/55 Gerard Pique – Spain, Barcelona
21/55 Sergio Ramos – Spain, Real Madrid
22/55 Thiago Silva – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
23/55 Samuel Umtiti – France, Barcelona
24/55 Antonio Valencia – Ecuador, Manchester United
25/55 Raphael Varane – France, Real Madrid
26/55 Thiago Alcantara – Spain, Bayern Munich
27/55 Sergio Busquets – Spain, Barcelona
28/55 Casemiro – Brazil, Real Madrid
29/55 Philippe Coutinho – Brazil, Liverpool
30/55 Eden Hazard – Belgium, Chelsea
31/55 Andres Iniesta – Spain, Barcelona
32/55 Isco – Spain, Real Madrid
33/55 N’Golo Kante – France, Chelsea
34/55 Toni Kroos – Germany, Real Madrid
35/55 Nemanja Matic – Serbia, Chelsea/Manchester United
36/55 Luka Modric – Croatia, Real Madrid
37/55 Mesut Ozil – Germany, Arsenal
38/55 Paul Pogba – France, Manchester United
39/55 Marco Verratti – Italy, Paris Saint-Germain
40/55 Arturo Vidal – Chile, Bayern Munich
41/55 Gareth Bale – Wales, Real Madrid
42/55 Karim Benzema – France, Real Madrid
43/55 Edinson Cavani – Uruguay, Paris Saint-Germain
44/55 Paulo Dybala – Argentina, Juventus
45/55 Antoine Griezmann – France, Atletico Madrid
46/55 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden, Manchester United
47/55 Harry Kane – England, Tottenham Hotspur
48/55 Robert Lewandowski – Poland, Bayern Munich
49/55 Romelu Lukaku – Belgium, Manchester United
50/55 Kylian Mbappe – France, Paris Saint-Germain
51/55 Lionel Messi – Argentina, Barcelona
52/55 Neymar – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
53/55 Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal, Real Madrid
54/55 Alexis Sanchez – Chile, Arsenal
55/55 Luis Suarez – Uruguay, Barcelona
1/55 Gianluigi Buffon – Italy, Juventus
2/55 David De Gea – Spain, Manchester United
3/55 Keylor Navas – Costa Rica, Real Madrid
4/55 Manuel Neuer – Germany, Bayern Munich
5/55 Jan Oblak – Slovenia, Atletico Madrid
6/55 David Alaba – Austria, Bayern Munich
7/55 Jordi Alba – Spain, Barcelona
8/55 Dani Alves – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
9/55 Jerome Boateng – Germany, Bayern Munich
10/55 Leonardo Bonucci – Italy, Juventus/AC Milan
11/55 Dani Carvajal – Spain, Real Madrid
12/55 Giorgio Chiellini – Italy, Juventus
13/55 Diego Godin – Uruguay, Atletico Madrid
14/55 Mats Hummels – Germany, Bayern Munich
15/55 Phillipp Lahm – Germany, Bayern Munich/retired
16/55 David Luiz – Brazil, Chelsea
17/55 Marcelo – Brazil, Real Madrid
18/55 Javier Mascherano – Argentina, Barcelona
19/55 Pepe – Portugal, Real Madrid/Besiktas
20/55 Gerard Pique – Spain, Barcelona
21/55 Sergio Ramos – Spain, Real Madrid
22/55 Thiago Silva – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
23/55 Samuel Umtiti – France, Barcelona
24/55 Antonio Valencia – Ecuador, Manchester United
25/55 Raphael Varane – France, Real Madrid
26/55 Thiago Alcantara – Spain, Bayern Munich
27/55 Sergio Busquets – Spain, Barcelona
28/55 Casemiro – Brazil, Real Madrid
29/55 Philippe Coutinho – Brazil, Liverpool
30/55 Eden Hazard – Belgium, Chelsea
31/55 Andres Iniesta – Spain, Barcelona
32/55 Isco – Spain, Real Madrid
33/55 N’Golo Kante – France, Chelsea
34/55 Toni Kroos – Germany, Real Madrid
35/55 Nemanja Matic – Serbia, Chelsea/Manchester United
36/55 Luka Modric – Croatia, Real Madrid
37/55 Mesut Ozil – Germany, Arsenal
38/55 Paul Pogba – France, Manchester United
39/55 Marco Verratti – Italy, Paris Saint-Germain
40/55 Arturo Vidal – Chile, Bayern Munich
41/55 Gareth Bale – Wales, Real Madrid
42/55 Karim Benzema – France, Real Madrid
43/55 Edinson Cavani – Uruguay, Paris Saint-Germain
44/55 Paulo Dybala – Argentina, Juventus
45/55 Antoine Griezmann – France, Atletico Madrid
46/55 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden, Manchester United
47/55 Harry Kane – England, Tottenham Hotspur
48/55 Robert Lewandowski – Poland, Bayern Munich
49/55 Romelu Lukaku – Belgium, Manchester United
50/55 Kylian Mbappe – France, Paris Saint-Germain
51/55 Lionel Messi – Argentina, Barcelona
52/55 Neymar – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
53/55 Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal, Real Madrid
54/55 Alexis Sanchez – Chile, Arsenal
55/55 Luis Suarez – Uruguay, Barcelona
The player greatly preferred both his life and Barcelona and the Spanish league. Despite that ostensible rivalry between the two, however, Messi would bear no ill will towards Neymar and has been speaking with club officials about the benefits of taking him back.
The Argentine has recently been made captain and is taking on a much more senior role in general, having also become highly conscious of his legacy and the need to win more Champions Leagues.
Although he has personally won four, Messi feels that is actually underperformance given the club’s dominance of the Spanish league. The Argentine also feels that the 2014-15 side with Neymar and Luis Suarez was among his best at Barcelona, and believes it is logical they should want him back.
A huge sticking point is the financial situation at Camp Nou, with the high wage bill – partly constrained by Messi’s own demands – greatly limiting their transfer potential.
It is felt they would not be able to get anywhere near paying the £200m fee that PSG laid out for Neymar, but that is why some officials have broached the possibility of letting French international Ousmane Dembele go in the other direction. He has not proven as popular with the Barca squad as Neymar was in his time there.
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