‘Am I interested in Mbappe and Neymar? Yes’ – Koeman responds to PSG’s Messi desire

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 14:09 BST
• 2 min read

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman has been discussing his side’s transfer policy and has admitted that he would love PSG pair Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to join the club.

Both players are out of contract in 2022. Unless they sign new deals, they could potentially be sold in the summer transfer market.

Barcelona, however, are unlikely to be in the market for such stars given their financial issues, but Koeman appeared frustrated by comments made by PSG sporting director Leonardo, who claimed that he would love to see Lionel Messi at Parc des Princes.

“If you ask me if I have an interest in Neymar and Mbappe I will say yes,” he said. “But I cannot comment on them because I do not know what will happen in the future.”

Meanwhile, the Barcelona presidential election has been pushed back from 24th January to 7th March, giving Koeman a further headache, with the prospects of January arrivals diminished.

“I don’t know anything about players we might sign,” he admitted. “I know there is a meeting this afternoon but we will have to wait and see.”

Will Barcelona sign Eric Garcia?

Specifically focussing on Manchester City centre-back Eric Garcia, Koeman would not be drawn as to the likelihood of Barcelona completing a deal.

“I have always said that I am not the one who has to command economic decisions in a signing,” he said. “If the club thinks it is not possible, then it is not possible and we will continue with what we have.”

He also discussed the possibility of Matheus Fernandes departing on a loan deal to earn more minutes away from Barcelona.

“In principle I have no preference for which team he goes to, he is a player that we don’t give many minutes to and he is young, like others who can look for a team to go out and play for,” he said. “At his age, you have to play games and the player himself knows that the best thing for him is to look for something away from here.”

Koeman was speaking ahead of Barcelona’s midweek Copa del Rey clash with Cornella.