Neymar informs Barcelona that he wants to return to club and regain lost glory in Europe; Deco makes transfer decision: Reports
Neymar Jr has reportedly opened talks with his former club Barcelona to return to the Catalan side ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The Brazilian is widely considered to have been at his peak at Barca between 2013 and 2017.
To the surprise of many, the Selecao star left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a then-record deal of €222 million. He then left PSG in the summer of 2023 to join Saudi giants Al-Hilal.
As per multiple reports (via El Nacional), Neymar is keen on returning to Barcelona ahead of preparing himself for the 2026 World Cup. The reports indicate that the Brazilian wants to regain his lost prominence in Europe by returning to the Camp Nou. The former Blaugrana star is reportedly free to negotiate regarding his future after January 1, with his current contract with Al-Hilal expiring in June 2025.
However, sporting director Deco has informed the former PSG star that his signing is currently not a priority for the club. While Barcelona have struggled to reinstate their left wing since Neymar's departure, the management reportedly prefers a more long term attacking option for the club, such as Erling Haaland or recent transfer target Nico Williams.
Moreover, Neymar's constant struggles with fitness could be another reason for the club to back away from his potential signing. The Brazilian has been out of the pitch since October 2023 since picking up an ACL injury during international duty with the Selecao. He is yet to return to the game for Al-Hilal after almost a year of absence.
Apart from Barca, Neymar is also considering joining his former club Santos or Brazilian side Flamengo. Both clubs are keen on signing the star forward but the Brazilian reportedly prefers a return to the Camp Nou over other options.
"He did a lot to come back" - When Lionel Messi claimed Neymar regretted leaving Barcelona in 2017
In a 2020 interview with Mundo Deportivo (via Bleacher Report), Blaugrana legend Lionel Messi claimed Neymar always regretted leaving Barcelona and is desperate to return. He said:
“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.”
Messi 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.”
The Brazilian has been close friends with Lionel Messi and their former teammate Luis Suarez since his time at the Camp Nou. Together, the trio became one of the greatest attacking trios of football, popularly known as MSN.
In 186 appearances for Barca across all competitions, the Selecao star scored 105 goals and recorded 76 assists. He has been linked with a return to Barcelona multiple times since his departure, but it never materialized. It remains to be seen if club president Joan Laporta considers bringing him back to Catalonia amid his reported interest of signing a star player for the club.