Barcelona plotting move to sign Neymar as transitional option before making big move for Premier League superstar: Reports
Barcelona are reportedly looking to sign Neymar Jr as a "transitional option" before plotting a big move to sign Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland in the future. The Brazilian is believed to have been at the peak of his powers while playing for Barca between 2013 and 2017.
Neymar's venture into European football began with his move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. Alongside former teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the Brazilian formed one of the greatest attacking trios in the history of the sport, popularly referred to as MSN. He found his peak at the Camp Nou, becoming key to the club's second treble win in the 2014-15 season.
Despite finding success at Barca, Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017 for a then-record fee of €222 million. The Brazilian's transfer was considered a controversial one by many, with the superstar allegedly regretting his decision later. He has been linked to a move back to the Camp Nou since his transfer, although it never materialized.
As per recent reports by SPORT, Barcelona are considering signing Neymar next summer as a transitional option before making a move to sign Erling Haaland from Manchester City. President Joan Laporta is reportedly keen on making a star signing for the club and the Brazilian could be a good alternative amid their financial woes.
The 32-year-old's current contract with Al-Hilal ends in June 2025 after which he would be available as a free agent. However, the Brazilian is also linked to his former club Santos and Brazilian side Flamengo. The Catalan giants could also face problems with his high salary, especially since he is earning a reported €300 million over two years at Al-Hilal.
Moreover, Neymar has been out of action since October 2023 when he picked up an ACL injury while on international duty with Brazil. The Selecao star began training with the team recently, but his official return date is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, Barcelona has faced problems in reinforcing their left wing since the Brazilian forward's departure in 2017. While the Selecao star's injury woes could pose a problem for any club, La Blaugrana could perhaps benefit from his services until they're financially strong enough to sign a younger and more competitive star to reinforce their attack.
"He is desperate to return" - When Lionel Messi claimed Neymar Jr regrets leaving Barcelona
In a 2020 interview with Mundo Deportivo, former Barcelona legend Lionel Messi claimed Neymar always regretted leaving the Catalan side in 2017. Messi said (via OneFootball):
“It bothered me at the time [when Neymar left] and we tried to convince him not to do it. But we all want to win and have the best players around us. He’s one of the best players in the world and he brought a lot to the team. But it’s understandable that people would see it as leaving in a bad way.”
The Argentine continued:
“He is desperate to return and has always appeared to regret his decision. He did a lot to come back and that would be the first step in making it happen. He was always fine at Barca, performing at a very high level. He’s a different type of player who is difficult to stop one-on-one and score goals.”
In 186 appearances for Barcelona, the Brazilian ace scored 105 goals and recorded 76 assists. He reunited with Messi in 2021 when the latter joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent before they left the French side to join Inter Miami and Al-Hilal, respetively in 2023. The duo shared the pitch 206 times for the two clubs, recording 67 joint-goal contributions.