Neymar to Barcelona? This summer could have been different

This year’s summer transfer window was packed to the brim with interesting transfers, yet one that could literally shake up the football world. And it could have been taken care of by Spain’s Barcelona. According to new reports, it was close to a deal with world superstar Neymar.

For the Catalans, the end of the season brought painful news, their captain and club legend Lionel Messi left them for good and went to PSG to join his friend Neymar. The whole saga could have turned out differently, as the star duo could have met in Barcelona.

According to Rac1, club president Joan Laporta had toyed with the idea intensely. Neymar has been linked with Barcelona in virtually every transfer window since his departure, so it can’t be a surprise that the club’s management took steps to acquire him this summer as well, especially with the player just a year away from the expiration of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

Laporta himself is said to have made repeated calls to Paris at the start of the transfer window to try and negotiate the former player’s arrival.

Representatives from the club were even due to arrive in the French capital to meet with Neymar and discuss his return. The reason, apparently, was his desire to play alongside Messi again.

Everything changed suddenly when PSG’s owners paid Neymar’s father the sum of twenty million euros. So the Brazilian striker ended up staying under the Eiffel Tower, where he signed a new contract until the summer of 2025.

However, both players’ wishes more or less came true, as a few weeks later Messi unexpectedly signed with PSG, who moreover did not let Kylian Mbappé leave, and everyone is waiting to see if the Parisian side will finally win the Champions League this season. He couldn’t have done more for that in the transfer market.

Source: Rac1