Lionel Messi has expressed his disappointment at Barcelona’s failure to re-sign Neymar this summer and revealed the Brazilian was desperate to return to Camp Nou.
Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee two years ago following an acrimonious departure from Barcelona but his time in the French capital has been a turbulent one.
Although PSG have continued to dominate the domestic scene, they have struggled in the Champions League and have failed to make it past the quarter final stage of Europe’s elite club competition.
Neymar, meanwhile, has been at the centre of several controversial incidents including an altercation with a fan following last season French Cup final defeat against Rennes which earned him a suspension and heavy fine.
Having fallen out with several high ranking officials, the 27-year-old attempted to engineer a return to Catalonia this summer but Barcelona were unable to raise the funds required to conclude a deal.
‘Honestly, yes,’ said Messi when asked by Sport if he wanted Neymar to re-join him at Barcelona. ‘I would have loved to have Neymar back.
‘I understand those people who are against his return and it’s understandable for what happened with Ney and the way that he left. But thinking about it on a sporting level, I personally think Neymar is one of the best players in the world and having him in our squad would increase our chances of achieving our objectives.
‘But, in the end, it didn’t happen and we have to only think about the squad we have and focus on our goals.
‘I don’t know what happened with the board. I know that I spoke with Ney and he told me how things were going. He was desperate to come back. I don’t know if the club really tried or not.
‘What I do know, Neymar was hoping it would happen. I also understand it’s very difficult to negotiate with PSG after all their previous back and forth issues with Barcelona.
‘And it’s difficult because Neymar is one of the best around. Negotiations are never easy. I can’t offer an opinion because I don’t know everything. I know what was published and what they said.
‘Obviously I wanted him to come not just for the sporting side of things but also for the club. In terms of the image, marketing, sponsorships and to keep growing. It would have given the club a lift too. But it didn’t happen.’
Neymar is yet to appear for PSG this season, but did play for Brazil in both their friendlies over the current international break.
The 27-year-old scored in the 2-2 draw with Colombia in Miami, and came off the bench as Brazil suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Peru in Los Angeles.
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