Neymar hasn’t quite reached the expectations everyone set for him when he first broke into the spotlight as a teenager playing for Santos in Brazil. In 2011, Neymar was the only player playing outside of Europe to be named one of the players on the 23-man list of the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
He’s one of the players with the most Ballon d’Or nominations, but one would wonder why he has never won the prestigious award. His time at PSG has not worked out so well, leaving him linked with several clubs almost every transfer window. Could Neymar return to Barcelona to reunite with the man he knows so well?
Xavi sheds light on Neymar’s transfer
Xavi and Neymar won a lot together at Barcelona as players, lifting the treble under Luis Enrique in 2015 in what happened to be the former’s last appearance for the club before moving to Al Sadd in Qatar.
While Xavi went on to do great things in Qatar, first as a player, then as a coach, before returning to Barcelona to win La Liga as the Catalan club’s manager, the same can’t be said of Neymar, who moved to PSG in a world-record transfer fee in 2017.
Neymar moved to PSG hoping to become a Ballon d’Or winner at some point in his career, but that hasn’t happened yet. Injuries and inconsistencies have hampered the Brazilian’s progress at the French club, and over the past three seasons, he has been linked with a move back to Barcelona.
Xavi on Neymar: “I can’t say anything on names and options, same for Neymar. We will see what we can do from today until August 31” 🇧🇷
“I can’t advance anything about names”. pic.twitter.com/WBu7bxOdI3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2023
“I can’t say anything on names and options, same for Neymar,” Xavi said. “We will see what we can do from today until August 31. I can’t advance anything about names,” the Barcelona manager declared after being asked about the prospect of Neymar returning to Barcelona.
Neymar hints PSG exit
PSG could end up with not one of their front-three that fell short of winning the Champions League last season. Messi was released after the Argentine failed to renew his contract with the French club, where he spent two ill-fated seasons. He has since found his feet at Inter Miami, scoring seven goals in his first four games and bringing a global football audience to the MLS.
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Kylian Mbappe is at loggerheads with PSG over contract renewal as the Frenchman wants to run down his contract so he can move to Real Madrid for free next summer. Neymar has also been linked with a move back to Barcelona or the Premier League, where he could test himself against the best players in the world.
Will Neymar leave PSG this summer in favor of a move back to Spain? Make sure to let us know in the comments section.
