- Neymar offered to Barcelona
- Barcelona did not want Neymar back
- Neymar likely to stay at PSG
WHAT HAPPENED? Neymar has been linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain this summer after several reports emerged that the player was not happy at the club. A Mundo Deportivo report suggests that the Brazilian was apparently offered to Barcelona by his agent but the reigning Spanish champions refused to re-sign him this summer.
WHY DID BARCELONA REFUSE NEYMAR? Barcelona refused to sign Neymar primarily due to two reasons. One, signing Neymar was not financially feasible for the club at the moment as they won't be able to match the star footballer's wage demands. Secondly, Barcelona felt that Neymar's stature as a player will harm the camaraderie of a close-knit dressing room.
WHAT ELSE: Neymar, himself, reportedly wanted to re-join the Catalan giants, a club with whom he won the only Champions League title of his career before leaving them to complete a world-record move to the French capital in 2017. While Barcelona boss Xavi, who played alongside Neymar for a brief period at Camp Nou, does not doubt the star player's ability he did not want to harm the dressing room atmosphere.
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Getty / Goal
(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE: Neymar was linked with a move to several Premier League clubs namely Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool but it seems he will stay at PSG for the foreseeable future. He recently posted on the social media site Threads, "Party season 23/24", with a French flag emoji and a picture of a private plane in the background.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR NEYMAR: Neymar will be expected back in PSG's pre-season training later this month, with the new Ligue 1 campaign beginning on August 13. They are due to visit Japan on a 10-day pre-season tour in July where they will face Al-Nassr, Cerezo Osaka and Inter.