The lack of funds at the Camp Nou is set to see Barcelona miss out on a player they were desperate to sign since a few months.
Barcelona are targeting a return for Neymar in the summer and that remains no secret to anyone. The Catalans have failed to replace the Brazil international having seen their money go down the drain over Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho and are once again willing to make a lucrative investment, this time for the player they sold for a world-record fee.
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Neymar has not settled in properly at the Parc des Princes and has continuously had his issues, be it with regards to his fitness, the relationship with the board or the fans. Paris Saint-Germain were thought to be comfortable with the prospect of selling the winger within three years of his signing, so in a bid to do so, they have lowered his asking price from 200 to 164 million euros.
With that said, a price tag in the 100 million range is affordable for most European clubs these days and a player of Neymar’s calibre would not have a shortage of suitors. Despite Barca being his preferred destination, the player’s transfer fee does not seem likely to be going any lesser and as a result, the club’s financial issues may see them left hanging for another year.
Don Balon has reported that Liverpool are plotting an ambitious transfer for the former Santos superstar. Jurgen Klopp is keen on bringing in a winger as he fears Sadio Mane’s departure for Real Madrid. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has identified the 28-year-old as a potential arrival. It must be noted that the Reds can easily afford the Brazilian’s transfer.
Liverpool getting the hands on perhaps a future Ballon d’Or winner may be beneficial in their quest of winning more Premier League titles in the years to come, as well as adding to their Champions League catalogue which they expanded last summer. Moreover, should the eventual English champions bring in Neymar, Barca may forget signing him forever.
Jurgen Klopp’s side does not enjoy the best of relationship with the Blaugrana, who have already taken away two of the club’s best players in recent times- Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho. In a bid to protect more players from joining the Camp Nou, the Reds have stated that they will charge the La Liga leaders 100 million euros in excess of original transfer value.
Additionally, the Catalans are almost certainly not going to be able to afford Neymar’s signing this summer given their strenuous financial state and losing their primary target of a couple of years may spell the end for Josep Maria Bartomeu and his directorial board, whose only salvaging factor could be landing the former superstar and a few others to complement him.
Do you see Neymar joining another club just to get out of France or will he wait for Barcelona?