Neymar wants Barcelona transfer after Laporta talks

Robin Bairner

• 27 Mar 2024 13:21 GMT
• 6 min read

Neymar wants to make a sensational return to Barcelona, according to a report in Spain.

The Brazil international is presently with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal but has been missing since October, when he suffered a serious knee injury on international duty.

That setback, though, has not stopped the 32-year-old from dreaming of a return to Barcelona, the club that he left in 2017 for a world-record fee of €222 million to PSG.

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According to a report from Bar Canaletes, Neymar holds regular discussions with Barca president Joan Laporta and these talks have fuelled the player’s desire to make a return to Camp Nou one day.

A transfer for Neymar is unlikely to be viable until the summer of 2025, when his contract at Al-Hilal is up.

At that point, he could hook up with Erling Haaland, with Laporta having opened talks with the Manchester City striker as a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski at the head of the Blaugrana attack.

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Neymar to make Barcelona return

There must be reservations about bringing Neymar back to Barcelona, though.

Financially, it will be a stretch and is likely to depend on what sort of wage the attacker is seeking. After growing used to mammoth pay packets at both PSG and Al-Hilal, it remains to be seen if he is willing to take a sizeable cut to make the switch to Barca. If he is, then this suddenly becomes a viable transfer.

Equally, though, there are grave concerns over Neymar’s fitness. Since moving to PSG, he has suffered at least one sizeable injury each season, and it is unclear how he will bounce back from his latest – and most serious – problem.

He has played 178 club games since leaving the Blaugrana, but given it has been seven years since he departed Camp Nou, this averages out at just 25 games per season.

The potential return of Neymar to Barcelona, though, is one that will appeal to the showman in Laporta.