According to El Nacional, FC Barcelona has dismissed the possibility of re-signing a world-class player who previously played for the club. Despite the player’s exceptional talent, Barcelona considers him “toxic” due to his tendency to host parties and frequent the city’s nightclubs during his initial stint with the club.
Neymar had the potential to become a legendary figure at Camp Nou, but instead, he decided to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. The Qatari-backed club triggered his release clause of €222 million ($249 million) in an attempt to step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow.
Despite Neymar’s effectiveness in Ligue 1, he has not managed to win either the Ballon d’Or, awarded by France Football to the world’s best player, or secure a Champions League title for Paris Saint-Germain. PSG finished as runners-up to Bayern Munich in 2020.
Interestingly, Neymar’s former teammate, Lionel Messi, has joined him at Parc des Princes. However, with Messi’s contract set to expire on June 30, there have been rumors linking him with a potential return to FC Barcelona.
Recent reports from Fabrizio Romano indicated that Messi’s camp informed PSG a month ago that they have no intention of renewing his contract beyond the specified date. Subsequently, there were rumors that PSG was open to the idea of allowing Neymar to go on loan with a purchase option included in the deal, as reported by Carrousel Deportivo.
This development has led pundits, such as those at SPORT, to speculate on how a potential second stint for Neymar at Barcelona could unfold. However, besides being financially unfeasible, as Neymar ranked fourth on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players in 2022 with $87 million, $55 million of which came from on-field earnings, such a move has been discarded by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.