Barcelona could be set to complete a sensational return for Brazilian star Neymar according to reports, with Paris Saint Germain keen to offload the forward this summer.
The French side have already seen Lionel Messi leave on a free transfer this summer after his contract expires, and could yet see Kylian Mbappe depart too, with the Frenchman down to the final year on his deal and having made it clear that he won’t be signing the 12 month extension written into his contract.
It is part of a major rejig at PSG following yet another disappointment on the European stage, where they were convincingly beaten by Bayern Munich.
Neymar could be the next out of the door too, with Forbes reporting that a sensational agreement for a return to Barcelona could be on the cards, six years on from when he left.
Xavi himself has dismissed reports, claiming that “I appreciate Neymar as a person, as a player, as a friend. He’s a great player” but he is “not in our plans”.
Neymar
Despite this, the rumours persist, and Forbes claim that ‘everything is agreed upon between the two clubs except for the player’s salary’, aside from one issue.
Described as the ‘core point of contention’, the 30-year-old currently takes home 50m per year, and any deal would require the French champions to continue paying a part of that should he make the switch to the Camp Nou on a loan basis.
The Blaugrana have already signed Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer, and needing to raise money could look to offload one of their forwards on a permanent basis should a loan deal for Neymar become viable.