Revealed: How close Neymar came to rejoining Barcelona as La Liga giants missed out on Brazil superstar & Lionel Messi in the same transfer window

The Brazil international forward left Camp Nou when completing a record-breaking €222 million (£193m/$235m) transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. Neymar had spent four years in Catalunya prior to that and never hid the fact that he would have liked to retrace professional steps at some stage.

With PSG prepared to part with supposed superstars in 2023 – as Messi departed for Inter Miami as a free agent after being linked with a move to Barca – an exit door opened up for Neymar. He stated a desire to head back to La Liga, but he ended up joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Co in Saudi Arabia when signing for Al-Hilal.

Deco has told Lance! when asked if a swoop for Neymar was ever on the cards for Barca: "There were conversations with his manager. This was much more with the president, but the truth is that the situation was never presented in a real way and how it could be done. We have the issue of Financial Fair Play that dictates a lot, but Neymar's situation was never concretely stated. The numbers... we know Neymar had a very high salary, he had offers from clubs in Saudi. It was very difficult to get Neymar back in the current scenario. He is a fantastic player. Obviously he would fit into Barcelona, but there was never a real possibility, apart from the desire he had to return from Barcelona."

Neymar claims that he and Messi experienced “hell” during their time in Paris, with a demanding fan base never truly won over. That is because Champions League glory proved elusive, with Ligue 1 titles not considered to be enough for a club that has invested heavily on some of the finest players in world football.

While Neymar ultimately departed the French capital under a cloud, Deco claims his spell at PSG should be considered a success. The former Barca playmaker added: “I don't think he didn't have the same success [as he had with Barcelona]. He had the same success. The difference is that he wasn't at one of the biggest clubs in the world, which is Barcelona. He played a lot at PSG, but Barcelona's dimension is different. This means that players can appear for the Ballon d'Or. Neymar had fantastic seasons at PSG. The difference is that PSG, unfortunately, was unable to provide the necessary dimension. Barcelona, in this sense, is a club that can project much more. I think Neymar was happy in Barcelona, he was in a fantastic moment. We never know if there was pressure from someone to make this decision. It's very difficult to give an opinion, but I think he played well at PSG.”

Neymar hit 118 goals for PSG through just 173 appearances, but saw his commitment to the cause called into question throughout a six-year stay. The 31-year-old also endured his fair share of injury struggles in France, and is back on the sidelines at present after suffering ACL damage during a 2026 World Cup qualifying outing for Brazil.