Share

Valverde dismisses talk of Neymar returning to Barca

Barcelona - Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has dismissed reports suggesting Neymar could leave Paris Saint-Germain and return to the Catalan giant as "fantasy".

In the same week that PSG crashed out of the Champions League, and only seven months after he joined the club for a world record €222 million, Neymars future has grown uncertain.

Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo claims the Brazilian, recovering from surgery on a broken foot in Brazil, has made contact with Barca to ask how he can engineer a return.

The article adds Neymar has explained he made a mistake in leaving the club, was wrong to want independence from Lionel Messi and has been disappointed by the standard of opposition in Ligue 1.

Asked about the reports on Friday, Valverde said: "It seems to me a fantasy and we do not know where it came from or where it will end.

"It is a fantasy and we are not going to speak about rumours when we know it would not end here."

Barca, however, is not the only club Neymar is reportedly targeting as a potential way out of PSG.

Madrid-based newspaper AS reports Neymars father has met with Real Madrid, who are ready to pay €400 million to sign the striker.

Real coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday: "Neymar could play in all the clubs because he is very good, like many players.

"Im not going to talk about a player that is not mine. On the €400 million, they paid €220 million and when they bought me they paid €72.

"It seemed crazy to me and 10 years later they are paying €220 million. It may well be that in the next 10 years someone will pay €400m, or sooner, I do not know."

Mundo Deportivo concedes Neymars courting of Barcelona may even be a tactic to justify a move to Real, given the Catalan club are likely to reject any chance to re-sign the 26-year-old.

Barcelona are still embroiled in a financial dispute over a bonus due to Neymar last summer, which the club cancelled when they believe it became clear he was moving to PSG.

Neymar missed PSG's last 16 loss to Real on Tuesday after undergoing surgery on a broken foot in Brazil last week.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 888 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 434 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE