Barcelona Transfer News: Blaugrana offer Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele plus €40m to re-sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain
What's the news?
In a bid to resign Neymar Jr. from Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona has offered Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele plus cash around 40 million Euros.
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Neymar left the Blaugrana in the summer of 2017 to PSG for a world-record transfer fee of €222 million. The Brazilian was signed by the Ligue 1 giants to consolidate their project of winning the elusive Champions League trophy.
But, the Neymar's stint in Paris didn't go as planned with PSG being knocked from the Champions League in the Round of 16 for past two seasons. The Brazilian is said to be unsettled at the French club, with him being keen on a return to Azulgrana bench.
To add fuel to the fire, Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director, Leonardo, confirmed Barca's approach to resigning Neymar but hinted at the lack of concrete offer from the Catalan side. His comments read as follows,
"It's clear to everyone [Neymar's intention to leave]. But in football, you say one thing today and tomorrow another ... It's amazing but it's like that."
"But we had, it's true, very superficial contacts [from Barcelona]. They said they wanted to buy but we were not sellers.
"Neymar can leave PSG if there is an offer that suits everyone. But to date, we do not know if anyone wants to buy it or at what price."
The heart of the matter...
With a deal for Antoine Griezmann secured, Barcelona have turned their attention towards resigning Neymar from PSG. According to AS, Josep Maria Bartomeu is willing to offer €40 million in addition to Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.
The aforementioned players are not guaranteed starters under Ernesto Valverde and the club is ready to lose them in order to bring the Brazilian superstar back at the Nou Camp. In spite of Neymar forcing a move away, the deal is far from reaching consensus as PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi demanding around €300m.
On the other hand, Barcelona couldn't afford such astronomical fees due to Antoine Griezmann's €120m arrival from Atletico Madrid. Keeping financial constraints in mind, a loan deal could be agreed between the parties, also helping Barca to comply with FFP regulations.
What's next?
Next few weeks of the transfer market are pivotal for Barca in terms of departures with numerous players linked with a move away from Camp Nou this summer.