LIONEL MESSI is the main man behind Barcelona’s Neym plan.
That’s according to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter, who told Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast Messi is driving the pursuit of his £198million ex-strikepartner Neymar from PSG.
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Hunter even suggested Argentina legend Messi is telling Barca: “If you want me to sign a new contract, first renew Neymar.”
The Bleacher Report, too, included Messi amongst three Nou Camp stars it says are hoping club chiefs keep chasing the world’s costliest player.
Former Liverpool frontman Luis Suarez and ex-Manchester United defender Gerard Pique are said to be the other two.
Hunter, though, went into detail as to how and why he thinks Messi is pressing to renew what was a lethal link up with Brazil superstar Neymar from 2013-2017, especially once Suarez arrived to made it a frightening threesome for the last three years.
The journalist told the Sky podcast: “Messi is a central player in all of this.
“Messi is not a stroppy player – people have portrayed him as such falsely. But when he sneezes, Barcelona catches a cold.
“[Josep Maria] Bartomeu, the president, has said before he leaves – and he must quit the club in 2021 at the latest – he wants to leave Messi renewed once more.
‘RENEW NEYMAR’
“Whether Messi is saying ‘get me Neymar’ or whether he’s whispering ‘before we sit down to negotiate, I want the front line reinforced with Neymar’, the fact is: Messi wants Neymar back.
“He, Suarez and Neymar, even though they’re different characters, are very friendly.
“The last time Barcelona won the treble, they had that ‘MSN’ up front.
“It’s clear Messi believes his route back to the Champions League isn’t just Neymar specifically, but more people supplying goals around him. “
Suarez also dreams of reforming the world’s most famous front three.
He has said: “I was privileged to spend one of the best years of my life as a Barcelona player alongside the best in the world, Messi, and the second best, Neymar.
“Who wouldn’t want to enjoy playing with players like Ney?
“But he belongs to PSG and these are things which are always talked about during the transfer window.”
However, La Liga champs Barca are struggling to put together a cash-plus-players offer for Neymar -having even borrowed £50m to complete Antoine Griezmann’s £108m switch from runners-up Atletico.
