Barcelona transfer news: Messi speaks about Neymar's return, Barca given massive boost in pursuit of PL star, and more - 2nd January 2019
It is the second day of a brand new year the - second day of the winter transfer window.
LaLiga champions and leaders Barcelona will look to make a few signings in the ongoing window to bolster their squad as they look to challenge for a treble. They have a three-point lead over their closest rivals Atletico Madrid and are eight points ahead of their nemesis Real Madrid, who are fourth in the table and have played a game fewer than the other teams.
Amidst all this, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has admitted he could leave the club at the end of the season. "I do not know what I will do next season. In this football, who knows? We all know how things are. I never think long or long term. For us, two months are a very long term. If you win a game, everyone is happy and if you lose, everyone is watching you," Valverde told Barca TV.
In today's transfer roundup, we take a look at what the Catalan giants are up to on the second day of the transfer window.
Also read: Barcelona transfer news- Barca agree to a deal with star midfielder, Another French defender on Barca radar, and more - 1st January 2019
Leo Messi on Neymar returning to Barca
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has given his verdict on his former teammate Neymar coming back to Catalunya. The Argentine international admitted that he would love to have the Brazilian star back at Camp Nou but feels that it is very difficult for the forward to leave PSG as the French champions will do their best to keep him at the club.
“Neymar back to Barcelona? I see it is complicated. We would love him to come back for what he means, both as a player and for the locker room. We are friends, we lived through nice moments and others not so nice, but we spend a lot of time together. However, I find it very difficult for him to leave Paris. PSG is not going to let Neymar go," Messi told Marca (via Express).
In the 2017 summer transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world record fee of €222m.