Barcelona are reportedly keen on bringing Neymar back to the club from PSG and are prepared to send Philippe Coutinho the other way as part of the deal.
According to a report from the Daily Record, Brazilian superstar Neymar could be on his way back to Barcelona this summer, as the La Liga champions are intent on re-signing him from PSG. The Catalans are reportedly willing to offer record signing Philippe Coutinho or French forward Ousmane Dembele as part of the stunning deal to sign the Brazilian.
Neymar enjoyed a stellar four-year spell with Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, before making a world record €222 million switch to PSG as he sought to come out of the shadows of Lionel Messi. Since joining the French giants, things haven’t exactly gone as per plans for the 27-year-old though.
While Neymar has won two Ligue 1 titles with Les Parisiens, he hasn’t been able to lead them past the Round of 16 stage in the UEFA Champions League, while they even faltered in the domestic cup competitions this past season.
Injuries have played a part in Neymar’s tough situation in France, while the emergence of Kylian Mbappe as the club’s MVP has not gone down all too well with the Brazilian. He has also been central to some disciplinary issues, leading to PSG opening up to the possibility of a sale should the right offer come along.
Neymar is believed to be keen on an exit, with his heart set on a return to Spain. There had been reports of interest from Real Madrid, but now his former club Barcelona have joined the hunt to re-sign the Brazilian and have already held discussions with PSG over the possibility of a transfer, the report adds.
Barcelona, despite winning the La Liga, endured a disappointing end to the 2018-19 season, as they were dumped out of the Champions League in humiliating manner by Liverpool and lost to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final. This has led to questions over the future of manager Ernesto Valverde.
Barcelona haven’t been able to replace Neymar adequately since his transfer to PSG. The Catalans signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund but the Frenchman, while full of potential, hasn’t been able to hit the heights expected, with injuries halting his progress.
Philippe Coutinho was also brought in for a club record fee of £162 million to boost their attacking firepower in January 2018, but the Brazilian has struggled to live up to the expectations as well, enduring a particularly disappointing 2018-19 season.
Coutinho’s future at Barcelona has been the subject of intense speculation of late, with a return to Premier League on the cards amid interest from Chelsea. However, the Catalans are now hoping to use him or Dembele as a deal sweetener in their attempt to bring Neymar back from PSG.
PSG have had interest in both Coutinho and Dembele in the past and with the club open to selling Neymar this summer, a deal could possibly be hashed out. It remains to be seen if there is any truth to these reports and if so, it will be interesting to see whether Barcelona are successful in re-signing Neymar this summer.
