Barcelona could be in danger of losing marquee player Lionel Messi and reports said the only way the Argentine will be talked out of moving is the return of Brazilian superstar Neymar, who made the jump to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. It's a good thing that PSG is now open to talk business on the striker but at a fixed price.
For the discussion to get started, the asking price by PSG is no less than £136 million, which in fact is a price cut from the £199 million that Barcelona collected when Neymar exited from the Spanish giants. The Parisians have made clear that Neymar is open to be acquired by any interested team.
Metro said Real Madrid will likely make a bid but it is understood that the Catalans are the preferred destination by the Brazil international.
While Barca might enjoy an advantage over other suitors, it would seem there is an issue in the availability of cash. Per the same report, for the deal to push through Barcelona will be forced to raise the money by selling top-notch talents such as Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, and Samuel Umtiti.
As mentioned, bringing back Neymar is a top priority for Barcelona as doing so will make the club's captain happy and keep him from moving out. The Sun reported that Messi has been clamoring for the return of Neymar, who has expressed interest that he indeed wants to play with the Argentine again.
"Argentine is not happy at Barca and the only one thing that would make him go on past the end of the season is if the club sign Neymar," the report said.
It also alluded to the recent events that saw Messi spatting with Barcelona officials and stories that circulated thereafter - that the Little Magician could walk away from La Liga at the end of the season. A possible destination for him is Manchester City where he will be reunited with former boss Pep Guardiola.
It is obvious, however, that Barcelona will not allow the rumored exit of Messi to happen. Per the same report, the club is taking advantage of the game suspension to continue negotiating with PSG execs to pave the way for Neymar's homecoming, which will certainly cost the Catalans.
At the same time, Barca is working on an extension deal for Messi, whose contract with the club will expire in 2021. The team is looking to add two more years to that existing deal and will supposedly pay the six-time Ballon d'Or up to £46 million as yearly wage.
