Barcelona are reportedly set to make an offer in chase for securing the return of Neymar on a loan deal, with an option to buy him next summer
According to a report by ESPN, Barcelona have stepped up their efforts in their bid to bring Neymar back to Camp Nou before the September 2 deadline. The La Liga champions are set to table an offer to sign the Brazilian international on a season-long loan from PSG, with an option to make his stay permanent next summer.
Neymar seems to have reached a point of no return at PSG, having made his mind up over leaving the Ligue 1 giants this summer. His situation in the French capital has alerted two of the biggest clubs in the world, with Real Madrid and Barcelona being heavily linked with him.
Over the last month or so, reports of various sorts of offers have emanated from the rumour mill, and the latest concerns Barcelona. The Blaugrana may have signed Antoine Griezmann to bolster their attack, but they are not resting on their laurels just yet.
With Philippe Coutinho loaned to Bayern Munich and three key attackers in Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele struggling with injuries, the star-studded attack is already bearing a severely depleted look. As a result, it now makes some sense to make a move for Neymar, especially with Coutinho’s departure creating space for him in the first-team squad at the club.
But, any sort of move will be complicated, with both Barcelona and PSG previously being open to the idea of including Philippe Coutinho in the Neymar deal. But, with the Brazilian now at Bayern Munich, any sort of player-plus-cash deal is unlikely to be secured, with Les Parisiens not appealed by any other star that the Catalans would be willing to offer.
Conversely, Barcelona are unwilling to include either Ousmane Dembele or Nelson Semedo in such a deal, two players that PSG desire. As a result, the Blaugrana are looking to break the impasse by taking a leaf out of Bayern Munich’s book and making an offer to sign Neymar on loan.
Such a move would see the 27-year-old initially join Barcelona for the rest of the 2019-20 season, with the La Liga champions bearing the option to sign him permanently next summer. Such a move would also help Barcelona escape any possible FFP sanctions, having already spent heavily on four deals this summer.
The Catalan giants, however, are yet to zero in on a figure for their purchase option. That Neymar would prefer returning to Camp Nou does put them in a strong position, but until Barcelona sort out the details of their offer, no progress will be made on the front.
Also, PSG’s stance over such an offer remains a mystery, while Real Madrid’s presence also adds more intrigue in this saga. For now, it remains to be seen how things progress once the loan offer is tabled by Barcelona.
