When Neymar left Barcelona in 2017, it was under a cloud. So much so that Barcelona filed a lawsuit against Neymar for a breach of contract, demanding the return of his contract renewal bonus, along with €8.5 million in damages and 10% in arrears. So it’s safe to say that he didn’t leave on the best terms.
According to Mundo Deportivo’s Ferran Martinez, Barca was given the chance to re-sign Neymar this Summer, an opportunity they turned down.
He may not have left Barca on the best of terms, but nobody can deny that he was a fine player for the club while he was at Camp Nou.
The Brazilian forward scored 105 goals in 186 appearances, including 21 goals in 40 European games.
The attacking trio of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Messi catapulted Barcelona to the treble in 2014-15, with the former Santos man scoring the 3rd and final goal in the Champions League final victory over Juventus.
Locker room harmony at Barcelona key in Neymar rejection
The report indicates that Barcelona turned down the chance to re-sign Neymar for two reasons.
The first is that financially it was unfeasible. Barcelona are looking to trim their wage budget to ensure they comply with financial fair play regulations.
Goal has previously reported that Neymar is on €700,000 a week. Which puts him out of the grasp of the Catalan club right now.
The second reason is based on locker room harmony and the worry that Neymar and his ego would create an unbalance and cause conflict.
Neymar has always been a player who divides opinion, and Barca needs everyone pulling in the same direction if they hope to win another La Liga title next season.
They also have a team who have bought into the Xavi system, and that will be key moving forward.
If Neymar were to leave PSG this summer, it would represent the breaking up of the big three.
The French giants spent a lot of money to create their own big three, pairing Messi with Neymar and Mbappe.
Messi has bolted for Inter Miami, Mbappe is currently in a standoff with the club’s owners and Neymar is being offered around Europe.
Through all of this, PSG has still yet to secure the prize they desire the most, the Champions League. They came close in 2019-20 losing the final 1-0 to Bayern Munich.